Glass Roses
by Shattered Midnight Dreams
Summary: ExT Handsome young bachelor Hiiragizawa Eriol sees a beautiful new girl working in his local bakery. He makes it his goal to get to know her, and so we begin a tale of two lonely people slowly falling together... Epilogue up Jan 2nd
1. What Happens When: There's A New Arrival

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The insane musings of the authoress: This idea came to me as I was shopping in 'Safeway'. No, seriously (for all of you who are American or don't know what 'Safeway' is, picture 'Wal-Mart' or some other chain-store supermarket). I often have ideas at least once a week, so literally hundreds of them are wasted, and I assumed that this would be one of them. But it just kept nagging at me, so here it is.

Bear in mind that this and my other fic, 'Butterflies', are experiments, so I need as much feedback on those as is possible. 

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Dedicated to my little sister for always believing in me and telling me that **I'm good, even when I'm not.**

Glass Roses

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Chapter one ~ What Happens When: There is a New Arrival

Hiiragizawa Eriol was in a small coffee store, in a small street, in a small town, in a small country. And small was how he liked it, for it meant that he knew almost everyone around him. Take this store, for example. He knew the owner and all the staff who worked there. In the street where he lived, he knew all the people who lived in the other houses. 

If you looked outside at all the stores in the street, he knew the owners and all _their _staff, too. This was how he liked it- not being surprised, knowing everyone's face. Sure, he didn't know any of these people _well_, but at least if they ever said 'hello' then he wasn't wondering who he was speaking to when he replied.

He rustled his newspaper as he set it down to pick up his drink from the table. He liked this little place, with its mismatched chairs and tables arranged in no particular way, but it _was _depressing to see so many happy couples around him, laughing and flirting and joking… It made him feel even more lonely than usual.

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'This world wasn't designed for people on their own,' he thought gloomily as he took a deep drink from his mug of black coffee, almost draining it. He shuddered at the sharp taste, but would never have thought of adding anything to it. He was used to black coffee now, and coffee prepared any other way would taste strange to him.

Eriol was now aimlessly staring through the window at the people outside, having finished reading his newspaper and requiring something to distract him from the store's other customers.

He smiled as he mentally named everyone who walked past. _Old Mrs Hibiya with tins of cat food for her ten cats, Takako Shimizu, the delivery girl for his favourite Chinese take-away… _But he frowned when he saw the back of a head of raven-coloured hair, hair he did not recognise… Who was that? The girl was accompanied by the owner of 'Chase Bakery', Ms. Chase, who was leading her into the store.

Decidedly curious, he drained his coffee before rustling in his pocket for some change and leaving it on the table with his empty mug. Then he folded up his newspaper, hoping to throw it in a bin on his way across the street and walked out the door, pausing only to say a hurried goodbye to the store's owner.

He stood at the edge of the pavement, looking up and down and groaning when he saw a rare car heading quickly towards the place where he was standing. He tapped his foot impatiently and craned his neck to catch a glimpse of the girl. Finally the car whizzed past and he stepped out on to the road, each step affording him a better sight of the inside of the bakery, where Ms. Chase was showing her something behind the counter.

Tomoyo looked and listened carefully to Ms Chase as she patiently explained how the till worked, and anything else that she may have to take care of if left in charge of the store. Unfortunately, the phone rang, and Ms Chase groaned.

"I'll have to get that, dear, but I won't be too long. If a customer comes in, just try to keep them talking until I come and rescue you!" she joked and winked before walking quickly to the back of the store where the phone was located. 

Tomoyo idly twirled a strand of dark hair around her finger while she waited for her employer to return, her eyes blankly staring unseeingly at the surface of the counter she leant upon.

She groaned inwardly when the little bell above the door rang, signalling the entrance of, presumably, a customer. Just her luck- what on Earth was she going to say to someone she had only just met? Fixing her best 'I am so nice and helpful' smile firmly to her face, she looked up to face the door, ensuring that she would be ready for whoever walked in.

A black-haired man walked in, and despite her intention to be Ms-helpful-employee-that-acts-like-every-other-female-employee, she couldn't think of what to say. Did gorgeous men usually walk into small-town bakeries?

Forcing herself to be sensible, she said in that bland, Barbie-doll voice that women often adopted when trying to sound helpful, "hello, sir. How may I help you?"

Eriol blinked stupidly. He hadn't thought this quite the way through, but he now realised that he had to ask for something other than her name. She was interesting, this girl, and remarkably beautiful. Who was she? Where did she come from? Why didn't he know who she was? How did she get her hair to look like that?

"Er," he began finally, and rather wanted to kick himself when he realised that his word was definitely not worth the wait, "I would like a cake, please."

Tomoyo resisted the urge to smirk and point out that his statement was rather obvious, as there was very little else that could be bought in a bakery, and instead said, "of course sir. What type?"

"Er…" he said cluelessly, trying to buy himself some time, "strawberry?" He finished lamely in a tone that suggested he didn't much care whether or not he was provided with that flavour.

"I'm afraid that, unless you have placed an order for a custom cake, you will just have to pick from the selection here, and I don't see any strawberry, unfortunately," Tomoyo said kindly as her violet eyes roved the display in front of her.

"That's okay then. I'll have…" 

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'This is so _embarrassing,' _he thought, and prayed that the heat he could feel in his face wasn't evident in his colouring.

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'You know, when I came in here, making a fool of myself wasn't part of the plan…' 

"That one, please," he finished, pointing at a pretty cake with plain frosting.

"That's just a plain one, now, is that okay?" Tomoyo warned him. Eriol shrugged.

"Sure."

"So," he began as she hunted in the space under her counter for a suitable cake box, "I haven't seen you around before. What's your name?"

Tomoyo paused in her rummaging to look up and smile warmly at him.

"Oh," she said, "it's Daidouji Tomoyo."

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'Tomoyo,' he thought, _'cute name. Plus, she seems nice.'_

"So, Daidouji-san, what brings you here to our little town?"

"Oh, I just moved away from home a week ago, on my seventeenth birthday."

Eriol was quite surprised at this.

"Wow. Seventeen is quite young to move away from home." 

"Well," Tomoyo said, her head still in the space underneath the counter, "I had my reasons."

Eriol got the distinct feeling that, despite her smile, he had touched a nerve, for her tone was decidedly frosty.

"Well, there you go, Mr… Sorry, I don't think I got your name," Tomoyo said.

He smiled at her.

"I didn't give it to you. It's Hiiragizawa Eriol."

"Well, then, here you go, Mr. Hiiragizawa. I hope you like it, and I also hope that you come back to Chase Bakery," Tomoyo said, professional-employee façade firmly back in place.

"I suppose I'll see you around," Eriol said as he turned to walk out the door.

"Well," she said with a shrug and in a tone that was coolly indifferent, "it's a small town."

He smiled at her again and walked out the door, where Tomoyo watched him wait at the edge of the pavement before jogging across to the other side and out of sight.

"Well," said Ms Chase, suddenly reappearing from the back of the store, "I see you met Mr Hiiragizawa. He's cute, huh?" 

She winked and Tomoyo laughed.

"And charming," Ms. Chase finished with a laugh of her own, causing Tomoyo to roll her eyes.

"When you have quite finished singing his praises…" 

"Well, you certainly gave him some difficulty. Usually every girl he goes after falls into a heap at his feet straight away," Ms. Chase said thoughtfully.

"Oh, I know the type. Playboy?" Tomoyo guessed.

"Surprisingly, no. He'll chat up every girl he sees, but I don't think I have ever seen him with a girlfriend. I think he's lonely, and must be waiting for the right girl."

That surprised Tomoyo, as Eriol seemed to her to be the dictionary definition of the sort of guy who could have any girl he wanted. And, probably, he could. But he didn't abuse that. Perhaps she shouldn't judge him before she got to know more about him. 

"You were an _awfully_ long time in there on the phone," Tomoyo said, her lips twitching into a smile. Ms. Chase turned determinedly away, busying herself with re-arranging the display.

"Oh, come on! Spit it out! I know you were letting us talk."

Ms. Chase smiled, being a woman who knew when to admit defeat.

"Okay! Okay, so I admit it. I was done way before I came back in, but I would have totally killed the conversation. Besides, you need to make friends here, and Hiiragizawa knows everyone, and everyone knows him."

"But I thought you said he was lonely," Tomoyo said, confused.

"Oh, he is! Everyone else has their friends, but he's always… Alone. None of the girls are content to be _just_ his friend, but he doesn't want a girlfriend. It's an awful pity."

"Then why doesn't he get some guy friends?!" Tomoyo asked, now completely bewildered.

Ms Chase shrugged and smiled wearily.

"They're all intimidated by him. Imagine you were a guy trying to go and ask girls out with Hiiragizawa as your friend! It would be a disaster!"

Ms Chase stopped talking after that and returned to re-arranging the display, but Tomoyo simply leant her elbows on the counter and stared out the large window and out into the street, her hands supporting her chin.

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'So he's lonely, huh? Lonely and needs a friend…'

And although she would never admit it, Tomoyo was desperately lonely too…

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To be continued…

A.N.: This, and my other new fic, 'Butterflies', are experiments, so I need as much encouragement as possible on those two! If I get enough reviews then expect the next chapter of this and of 'Butterflies' sometime soon!

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Shattered Midnight Dreams


	2. What Happens When: Tomoyo Is Late For Wo...

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The insane musings of the authoress: Back with the second chapter of "Glass Roses"! Do enjoy, and don't forget to review!

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Special thanks to: My fourteen lovely reviewers! *blows kisses*

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Disclaimer: CCS is not mine. "Glass Roses", however, is.

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Glass Roses

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Chapter two ~ What Happens When: Tomoyo is Late For Work

"Nakuru, do you have any type of preference when it comes to the flavour of cakes?" Hiiragizawa Eriol asked vaguely of his companion as he flicked over a page of his newspaper.

"Eriol, that is one of the strangest questions you have ever asked, but I'll say chocolate. Why on Earth do you want to know?" Nakuru said as she petted Eriol's cat, Spinel, currently a black ball of fluff on her lap.

"Oh, I just figured I might go for a walk to Chase Bakery again today," he said as he folded up his newspaper and got up out of his seat in the lounge of Hiiragizawa Mansion. Nakuru rolled her eyes by way of response.

"But we haven't yet managed to finish the cake you brought back yesterday! I didn't even think that you liked cake!" She said, gesturing in such a wild manner that Spinel meowed indignantly and leapt off her lap. 

"Look, if there's some other reason why you're going to the bakery that's got nothing to do with cake, can't you go _without _bringing home unwanted cake?"

Eriol blushed.

"What would make you think that it was about something other than cake? Can't a guy go out for some cake without people assuming things? Are you implying something here, Nakuru?" He asked in quick succession, each word running into the other in his embarrassment. 

"Of course I'm not, Eriol!" Nakuru said cheerfully as he got up and moved towards the front door.

"But, in case you do end up choosing cake, don't forget to go for chocolate!" she called after him, her face spread with a teasing smile. The only reply she got was the slamming of the door as Eriol left the house. 

"I wonder who the girl at Chase Bakery is?" Nakuru asked the empty room as she coaxed Spinel back towards her.

"I can't believe I got up so late!" Tomoyo moaned to herself as she pulled her shoes on hurriedly, checking the time on her watch. She was already thirty minutes late for work, and she doubted that she would be there within the _next_ thirty minutes. She hoped fervently that Ms Chase wouldn't sack her for screwing up on only her second day and ran downstairs, dragging a brush through her long, damp hair as she went.

Hiiragizawa Eriol entered Chase Bakery and was disappointed to see only Ms Chase behind the counter, with no sign of the beautiful girl he met yesterday.

"Oh, hello, Ms Chase… I don't suppose Daidouji-san is here?"

The older brunette woman smiled.

"Disappointed?" she asked.

Eriol blushed in reply.

"Sorry, Hiiragizawa-san," she said with a shrug.

"That's okay," he said with a small smile as he turned and walked out the door. Ms Chase grinned to herself. Tomoyo was going to kick herself when she realised she missed him.

Tomoyo burst through the doors of Chase Bakery some thirty minutes later, a cup of coffee and a doughnut in one hand, apologies tumbling from her mouth and tripping over each other in their haste. Ms Chase held her hand up to stop her babbling.

"You're going to fire me, aren't you, Ms Chase?" Tomoyo said miserably. Ms Chase resisted the temptation to burst out laughing and tell Tomoyo not to be ridiculous, as an idea struck her.

"I won't fire you so long as you do something for me," Ms Chase said, trying to look serious.

"Yes! Of course I will! Anything!" she said gladly.

"Well, I still have to find a delivery person, so could you deliver a cake for me?"

Tomoyo nodded eagerly as Ms Chase looked through the display for a suitable cake. Then she scribbled down an address.

"It's not too far, so you should be okay to walk. There are some directions on there, but it's really close."

"Is that your breakfast?" Ms Chase asked randomly, spying the coffee and doughnut that Tomoyo proceeded to stuff into her mouth. Tomoyo nodded, unable to speak.

"I know it's not the most healthy thing, but I didn't have time," she said sheepishly after a huge swallow.

"I stopped at that place across the street, and this was all they had."

"Okay, away you go. And don't hurry back! Take all the time you need!" Ms Chase said with a smile at Tomoyo's confused expression as she left.

Nakuru heard the front door open and close and by the sound of it, Eriol was back, and not too happy.

"What happened?" Nakuru asked as Eriol stomped into the lounge, clearly sulking.

"She wasn't there," he replied.

"Oh, there's a _she_, huh? Who is she? What's her name? What's she like?" Nakuru asked.

He hadn't actually been intending to let slip the part about Tomoyo, but he supposed that Nakuru would find out about her sooner or later.

"Daidouji Tomoyo- she's just moved here and she works at Chase Bakery."

"I knew there was some reason for your new passion for cake!" Nakuru said with a giggle. Eriol simply blushed in response.

"So, you met her…"

"Yesterday," Eriol supplied.

"And she wasn't there today," Nakuru finished.

"Unfortunately not."

"And when you talked to her, what did she say?" Nakuru asked, trying to psyche out Tomoyo.

Eriol laughed at the memory.

"She was different from the other girls. She was sarcastic, and cold when I asked her a question with a personal answer."

"So she didn't fall at your feet," Nakuru said slowly and thoughtfully when the doorbell rang. 

"I'll get it," Eriol said as he got up out of his chair and walked slowly up the hall to the door. He opened the door and was surprised to see Daidouji Tomoyo holding a cake box and looking expectant.

~

Tomoyo looked at the hastily-scribbled address and directions in her left hand while trying to balance the box containing a cake in her right. So she had to turn right here…

A huge house loomed up the moment she turned, and she gasped. Surely this wasn't the right house? She checked the address a few times and was surprised that she was right. She walked slowly to the gates and was amazed to find that they were open and that she was able to walk right up the path to the door and ring the bell.

It was odd that a grand house like this should be so unguarded, she thought, but she stood and fixed her hair and clothes to try and make herself more presentable.

~

Seeing a flushed and windswept Daidouji Tomoyo smiling and holding a cake box on his doorstep was not exactly what he expected. Her violet eyes widened when she saw him- clearly she had been expecting him about as much as he had been expecting her.

"Daidouji-san!" he said happily, if with a surprised tone. 

"Oh, Hiiragizawa-san! I didn't expect to see you here!" she said, her hand lifting to catch a stray strand of hair floating as the wind played with it.

"Would you like to come in?" Eriol asked.

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'Ms Chase knew EXACTLY who lives here! She sent me here on purpose! Well, she DID say that I could take my time… I might as well go in, and make use of the break.'

"Sure, Hiiragizawa-san," Tomoyo said, and stepped over the threshold into the entrance hall of the Hiiragizawa mansion.

"Eriol, who's at the door?" Nakuru called as she got up from her seat, Suppi cradled in her arms.

"Oh!" she said in surprise when she saw the visitor, a smile lighting up her face.

"You must be…"

Eriol was standing behind Tomoyo, making frantic motions to Nakuru to tell her to shut up. Nakuru grinned wickedly and continued:

"… Daidouji Tomoyo! Eriol told me so much about you!"

"Really?"

Eriol made strangling motions, causing Nakuru to simply smile even more widely.

"Oh yeah, he told me _all _about you," Nakuru said, nodding earnestly.

"Well, if he talked about me that much then he must be very easily interested," Tomoyo said. Eriol's face could be described as on fire, so Nakuru was finally satisfied.

"Wait a minute, I don't think I told you who I am. My name is Akizuki Nakuru and I'm Eriol's cousin," she shifted Suppi around in her arms and held out her hand.

Tomoyo shook it and the three walked after Nakuru into the kitchen, Suppi having been dropped and left to scamper away. 

"She's cute," Nakuru muttered to Eriol after he pulled out Tomoyo's chair for her.

Eriol said nothing, but asked Tomoyo what she would like to drink.

"Oh, just a coffee, black, please, if you don't mind," she said with a warm smile as she straightened her long skirt over her lap.

Nakuru told Eriol to sit down and not to worry, that she would make the coffee.

"Go talk to her!" she hissed as she flicked a switch to boil some water.

She watched Eriol go and sit down across the table from Tomoyo right at the other end of the large kitchen. She glanced up every now and then, seeing them talking each time, seeing one of them laughing at the other occasionally. 

'Good,' she thought, 'Eriol's been too lonely for too long. Maybe she's the right girl…'

"So you moved here last year?" Tomoyo asked him.

"Yes, Nakuru and I moved here together. The house belongs to a relative of ours, actually, but we live here."

"So you live with your cousin… Forgive me for being nosy, but that's rather an odd arrangement…" Tomoyo trailed off, her violet eyes carefully watching his face across the table above her hands, the elbows of which were resting on the table. Perhaps her question was too personal?

"I have very few family members left, Daidouji-san. My parents and Nakuru's parents (my aunt and uncle) were all on holiday together in Thailand. Nakuru and I were very young at the time, so we were left at home with our grandmother. Our parents never came back."

Tomoyo now had one hand over her mouth, and her sympathetic eyes steadily held Eriol's pain-filled ones.

"I'm so, so sorry, Hiiragizawa-san," she said quietly.

Judging by Tomoyo's shocked look and Eriol's sad expression, she assumed that the raven-haired girl had just heard about their parents. She tried to smile even though her eyes began to fill with tears, blurring her vision. Eriol was so young that he barely even remembered his parents and his aunt and uncle. Nakuru remembered them all too well, it seemed. 

Eriol forced a smile.

"It's okay, Daidouji-san. It was a long time ago, so long that I barely even remember them. Nakuru and I lived with our grandmother, and she still lives in a house not too far away. Nakuru and I moved out together because we mean so much to each other, living without the other… Would be hard."

This time Nakuru smiled genuinely through her tears, hearing Eriol talk about her that way.

"And when I asked you why you moved out, it seems as though that had a pretty painful reason behind it," he continued, his azure gaze holding hers so steadily it was almost a challenge. 

"Well, like I said, I had my reasons. I don't want to talk about it right now- I'll tell you. Someday."

Eriol was satisfied by that. It was obvious that, behind a beautiful and kind exterior, hid a lonely, sad little girl who had been hurt.

Nakuru had, in that time, pulled herself together and managed to pour three cups of coffee and put some of the cake Tomoyo had brought on to a plate. 

"Akizuki-san," Tomoyo said worriedly as the chocolate-haired woman sat down at the table, "your eyes are very red."

Nakuru smiled sadly,

"I'm okay. Maybe I'll tell you about it. Someday."

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To be continued…

A.N. Just some filler for you there in a chapter that I fear was perhaps a little too sad. I just wanted to clear up why two cousins were living together, which IS an odd arrangement. We still don't know why Tomoyo moved away from home, and, believe me, it's not why you think…

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Until next chapter!

Shattered Midnight Dreams 


	3. What Happens When: Candles Are Involved

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The insane musings of the authoress: Enjoy "Glass Roses" chapter three!

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DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE YOUR ADDRESS IN YOUR REVIEW IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE ADDED TO THE MAILING LIST!! IF YOU DO, I WILL MAKE SURE TO SEND YOU AN EMAIL EACH TIME I UPDATE!

Special thanks to: All those who reviewed. I really, really appreciate it as I know it takes time to do and sometimes you just want to go and read something else straightaway. ^-^

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Disclaimer: Do I look like a millionaire genius? Then don't assume I own CCS.

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Glass Roses

Chapter three ~ What Happens When: Candles are involved

When Tomoyo had walked back to the bakery that day, she felt as though she knew Eriol Hiiragizawa that little bit better. And the more she got to know him, the more he intrigued her, and the more she liked him. He was interesting and parts of him seemed almost like her. 

She had been absolutely lost in thought so was quite amazed when she discovered that her feet had managed to carry her back to the right place. As she walked into the bakery and that little bell rang, she smiled, as it already seemed so familiar that it felt as though she had been hearing it all her life. Perhaps this tiny town was where she belonged. 

"Successful delivery?" Ms Chase asked from her position behind the counter, the corners of her mouth twitching.

"Very funny, Ms Chase," Tomoyo said sarcastically with a roll of those violet eyes.

"You know," Tomoyo continued, "you have got to be one of the strangest employers ever. You don't even get mad when your employees are really late, then, when they finally _do _get in, you send them on a fake delivery to someone that hasn't even ordered a cake, giving them a big, long break!"

Ms Chase shrugged.

"I don't mind, so long as I'm helping people," she said.

"What do you mean? And why are you pushing us together?" Tomoyo asked.

"I'm not 'pushing you together', as you called it. I'm just nudging you in the right direction because you don't need a boyfriend and he doesn't need a girlfriend, but you both could sure do with a friend."

Tomoyo was surprised at how perceptive Ms Chase was, especially as the two had only met a couple of days earlier.

"And you know, Hiiragizawa and you would make quite a pair. Like you, he's worth a second glance."

Tomoyo had locked up the shop and gone home that night feeling a little… Confused, to say the least. Having to get to know people was a shock, because living as she had done in the city meant that all she had to do was learn someone's name then forget it, because she would probably never meet that person again.

She had been walking quickly, head down when she heard someone call her name. She looked up to see Eriol running towards her. 

"Hello, Daidouji-san," he said upon catching up to her. She smiled.

"Hello, Hiiragizawa-san. What brings you out here?" she asked. He shrugged.

"Just out for a walk. I'm surprised to see you. You shouldn't be out walking on your own at night."

Tomoyo giggled.

"Hiiragizawa-san, it's only six P.M.!"

He shrugged again, but a smile was starting on his face.

"Well, it's quite dark."

Tomoyo shook her head in disbelief, but had to smile all the same.

"I appreciate the thought, anyway." 

They walked in silence for a few minutes, but it wasn't an awkward, 'Oh-no-I-can't-think-of-anything-to-say-this-is-so-embarrassing' silence, it was a comfortable one. Tomoyo looked all around her as they walked, watching as corners giggled with shadows as the night grew darker around them.

He remarked upon a cherry blossom tree that they passed, and soon a whole conversation was in full bloom, Tomoyo happily telling him about her city childhood and the way she adored cherry blossoms, and how the city people _always _seemed to have them in their gardens. 

He was an attentive listener, and, unlike most other men, every third glance wasn't thrown in the direction of her chest. He watched her face intently and smiled when her face lit up as she touched upon memories that were particularly dear to her. 

He, in turn, told her how his favourite flowers were plum blossoms, and that was one of the reasons why he liked her name so much. He told her happily about his childhood spent with his grandmother, his memories of fields filled with long grass and wildflowers, trees spilling flowers and sweet fruits… 

She was fascinated- his childhood was as different from hers as it was possible to be. His grandmother's house had amazing grounds, with an apple orchard. They spent many a happy summer riding ponies through the orchard, and making jelly and pies with the apples.

She told him of the cold, often empty Daidouji Manor and of Christmases and birthdays spent with servants. Her mother had been a very busy woman, she had said. He said that he thought it was impossible to be so busy that you couldn't take a few days off a year with your child. She replied that somehow her mother managed it.

She told him how she would have longed for his country upbringing as a little girl. She hadn't been unhappy, she was certain to tell him that, but she was envious of friends with normal houses in little streets, with parents and siblings who were always there. 

He listened through all of this, even when the conversation took rather a melancholy turn. But then she looked up and realised that they had walked straight past her house. They doubled back and soon reached her modest house, like one that she wished she lived in when she was younger. 

She paused at the gate, she on one side of it and Eriol on the other.

"Er… Would you like to come in?" she asked.

He appeared to think about it for a few moments, if his silence was any indication.

"I probably shouldn't," he said eventually, "if I don't come home then Nakuru will wonder what has happened to me."

"Surely you could just come in quickly? I must repay you for all your kindness to me recently. It'll only take a minute- we can have tea and a slice of... Cake..." she finished wickedly, violet eyes shining with amusement.

"Ha ha ha," Eriol said sarcastically, "you know I'm sick of the sight of cake now."

"Seriously, though. Please come in and I'll make you a cup of cocoa or something. _Anything _to repay you, or I'll feel awful."

Eriol sighed in defeat.

"How can I resist an offer like that from such a beautiful lady?" he asked, obviously not expecting an answer. Instead he opened the gate, walked on to the path and fastened it behind him again, following her up the little path to the house.

She rummaged in her purse for her keys for what seemed like hours before Eriol eventually plucked them out of a pocket. Tomoyo was simply amazed.

"How did you know that they were in there?" she asked.

He shrugged.

"Lucky guess."

They entered her little hall and he flicked the light switch, then frowned when he realised that it wasn't working.

"Oh," Tomoyo said when she realised that he was flicking her light switch on and off repeatedly, "the lights don't work. The electrician should be coming out to fix them soon."

"Oh, but that means we can't have cocoa," he said, sounding slightly disappointed. Tomoyo sounded puzzled when she next spoke.

"Of course we can. Why not?"

Now Eriol was puzzled.

"But- but you said that the electricity…"

Tomoyo looked relieved as she said,

"No, that's not it. The light circuit in the house has short-circuited. There's still electricity going through the house, but there's something wrong with one of the wires connecting the lights, so although my cooker works, for example, my lights don't."

Eriol nodded in understanding.

"So what are we going to do then? Just blunder around in the dark?" he asked.

"No! Don't be ridiculous, Hiiragizawa-san."

She brushed her hand over the table that stood to one side, triumphantly picking up two candles and a box of matches.

"I've got a supply here. Actually, we'd better pick up a few spare candles in case any of these burn out."

She picked up a few extra and put them in her pocket before warning Eriol to stand back and stroke a match, her face immediately illuminated by the flames.

She lit a candle for herself then lit one for him, then made to blow out the match. Unfortunately, she ended up blowing out both the candles as well.

"Sorry!" she said. "I'm not great with all this candle stuff."

"Then let me," he said, reaching out to take the candles from her, but he couldn't see in the dark, so he ended up grasping her hand instead of the candles. They stood for a few seconds, neither breathing, moving nor saying a word, Eriol marvelling at how soft Tomoyo's skin was, Tomoyo trying not to think about the fact that she could smell his aftershave, he was so close.

Eventually Eriol pulled away, glad she couldn't see his flush.

"I'm sorry, Daidouji-san. I only wanted to help."

"It's okay. It _is _awfully dark in here," she replied, pausing to hand over the candles to him, careful not to let her fingers so much as brush his. 

He simply moved the objects around in his hands before striking a match and successfully lighting the two candles, handing one to Tomoyo and blowing out the match.

They each held one and walked into the kitchen by candlelight, Eriol following Tomoyo, the flickering shadows cast on the wall both eerie and yet somehow beautiful. The darkness outside was intensifying and they became more dependent on the small light of their candles. 

Eventually they settled themselves at the kitchen table; or rather Eriol sat at the table while Tomoyo began to boil hot water by candlelight. Eriol felt that this was one of the oddest things he had ever done, and yet it was strangely… Interesting was he supposed the best way to describe it. 

It was weird, but he loved it. It was unusual, but definitely something worth doing. Sort of like Tomoyo, then. She was sort of odd, but yet she fascinated him.

Tomoyo turned to him and giggled.

"What?" he asked indignantly.

"I'm sorry… This is just so… Strange…" She said as her violet eyes looked over him, taking in how the candle illuminated hollows of his face.

"You mean you don't like it?" He asked. She shook her head at his question.

"Of course I do! It's… Lovely. It's so nice to sit in the darkness with someone else for a change."

As a child she often sat in the darkness. But nobody else ever sat with her. Until now.

"Did you often used to sit in the darkness, Daidouji-san?" he asked softly, those cerulean eyes staring deeply into hers again. They seemed to dare her to lie. They seemed to say 'go on. Try it. Lie, but I'll find you out.' 

"Did you read my mind?" She answered his question with one of her own.

"No. I can't- you know that. Your tone of voice told me everything."

"Am I that transparent?" she asked desperately, her arms flung wide.

"No, Daidouji-san. I'm just perceptive," he answered, his tone still soft and sympathetic.

"Yes. I did. I sat alone for hours and waited for someone to come find me. But they never did. Nobody came and sat with me."

"I'll always sit with you," he answered simply. She turned so that he wouldn't see her cry.

"Daidouji-san? Daidouji-san, are you okay?" He asked worriedly. She had turned away from him rather abruptly; perhaps he had said something wrong.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," she said hurriedly.

"But you're not," he said shortly, getting up form his seat and moving to her, candle still burning brightly in his hand.

"You're crying," he said, being a fan of pointing out the obvious.

Tomoyo crossed her arms, one finger hooked in her bottom lip.

"I met you yesterday. Just yesterday. And I care about you already. I feel like you know me. I feel like you care about me. But I didn't know your name three days ago. How is that possible? Am I such a pathetic person that I will latch on to anyone who expresses an interest in me?"

"Of course not, Daidouji-san. We all need someone to care about, and someone who cares about us. You know, I'd hug you, but I'm holding a candle."

His remark made her smile briefly through her tears, but not for long.

"You know what, to hell with it," he said and blew out the candles and set them down on the table before reaching out and hugging her in the darkness.

She was really crying now- each tear left an imprint on his shirt. He hugged her and comforted her as best he could, trying to ignore the vanilla scent of her long hair. 

"We're insane," she said finally, laughing through her hiccoughs.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean we're not going to be able to find the candles again," she said. She felt him laugh, felt the vibrations from his body against her own. It frightened her and made her want to pull away, but glued her to the spot at the same time.

"I only met you yesterday," she protested.

"So? Sometimes people just… _Click_."

"It still… It seems… Weird that you… That I… That I care about you already. It's weird that you understand. Weird that… We're close already."

People usually had to work hard to get close to her. He just slipped in and found a place.

"I'm glad you're here," she said.

"Ditto," he replied, arms still tight around her waist, face still hovering inches above her head.

"You know, I think that the water will have gone cold again," she said, and he smiled.

****

A.N. Actually, this chapter was meant to go somewhere TOTALLY different… This chapter had a mind of its own, I think! I think perhaps this was another sad chapter, which wasn't intentional, but I think I can do a little less drama next chapter. Hopefully, anyway. ^_^

Shattered Midnight Dreams 


	4. What Happens When: Tomoyo Makes Things C...

**The insane musings of the authoress: **I should really be writing "Butterflies" chapter three right now looks guilty but I just decided to write "Glass Roses" instead.

**Special thanks to: **My lovely reviewers! Blows kisses

**Disclaimer: **Me? Own CCS? Only in my dreams. And as for Norah Jones's beautiful song 'Come Away With Me', it's not mine.

Glass Roses

_Chapter four What Happens When: Tomoyo Makes Things Clear_

Last night at Tomoyo's house had been… Enlightening, to say the least. They hadn't got their cocoa in the end as it had gotten so late and Eriol had to go home to Nakuru. But… He was glad he had gone in with her. Glad that she had said she cared about him. Glad that he had been able to comfort her. Glad that he had the opportunity to hold her like that…

He gulped. That was _not _an appropriate thought. Tomoyo was lovely, but he didn't need a girlfriend. Just a friend would be nice. And he was pretty sure he'd found that in Tomoyo.

It was morning, and, after checking his watch, he made it to be ten A.M. Tomoyo was probably in work by then, but he wasn't going over to see her. He wanted to surprise her later.

God, but it was boring by himself. Nakuru was out, doing God-knew-what, and Suppi appeared to be deaf to his master's persistent calling, wherever the feline was. He checked his watch again. Ten-o-two.

_'Come ON!' _He thought angrily. Surely he should be able to occupy himself? Lifting his sketchpad, he walked out of the house.

Fortunately Tomoyo made it on time to work that day. She watched out for Eriol all morning as she stood behind her counter, watching the cars go up and down the street and serving the occasional customer. She hadn't seen Eriol, or Akizuki-san, for that matter. She was bored out of her mind, as she was alone, Ms Chase having left her alone while she went to tend to a friend who wanted to bake her own cake but had done something horribly wrong in the attempt…

Ms Chase should be returning soon, and that thought comforted her as she drummed her fingers idly against the countertop. Her eyelids were drooping and the bakery was slipping out of focus, black rapidly crawling over her vision…

Eriol checked his watch and folded up his easel. He had to go now to surprise Tomoyo, and although it meant he had to leave his painting unfinished, he felt that it was worth it.

Eriol walked down the street towards the bakery, having stopped to leave his easel off at home. He picked up the pace a little, wanting to make sure that he caught Tomoyo in time for his surprise to work.

He turned the corner and smiled when he saw the bakery. Jogging to the door, he opened it and went in, but stopped dead when he saw Tomoyo, slumped across the counter, asleep.

It was a good thing she had been sitting on a chair at the time she fell asleep, he thought as he walked towards her, or else she would have fallen on the floor. He wondered where Ms Chase was as he slipped off his coat and laid it over her.

Slightly disappointed at having his plan spoiled, but satisfied to see her looking so relaxed and peaceful, he pulled a chair up to be level with hers and sat, not wanting to leave her alone.

After a few minutes of simply looking out the window and listening to her deep breathing, Eriol had no longer to wonder as the tinkling of the bell announced Ms Chase's return.

"I'm sorry that I was away so long, Tomoyo!" Ms Chase exclaimed as she stepped over the doorway of the store, so busy unbuttoning her coat that she didn't realise anything odd about Tomoyo, or indeed, the person who was with her.

"Oh!" she said surprise, standing stock still when she saw Eriol, and a Tomoyo who was now waking up.

"I'm sorry for waking her… I didn't realise…" She mumbled.

Eriol thought that Ms Chase would have been angry as her assistant had fallen asleep while she was supposed to be watching the store, but Ms Chase was proving to be an odd person, and an even stranger employer.

"I'll tell you what, Ms Chase, since you woke Tomoyo up, how about letting her have her lunch break now? I was wanting to ask her to have lunch with me," Eriol suggested. Ms Chase smiled delightedly.

"That's a _lovely _idea!" she exclaimed.

"What's a lovely idea?" Tomoyo asked, suddenly wary as she had a feeling she was being volunteered for something.

"Well, Hiiragizawa-san suggested that you go to lunch at his house, and I really, really think you should do that," Ms Chase explained.

On one hand, Tomoyo wasn't sure about having lunch with him after her emotional outburst last night. But, on the other hand, Ms Chase hadn't yelled at her for falling asleep…

"W-well… I-I don't know…." She stuttered, fully aware that she sounded idiotic.

"It's just that Nakuru made this beef casserole thing, and I know that she would be delighted to have an extra taste-tester," Eriol said.

Now there was another complication. She liked Nakuru, and that made her want to go so that she could help Nakuru with her cooking.

"You two kids go and have fun," Ms Chase winked.

"Take an extra-long lunch break, Tomoyo, you earned it after watching the store for so long," she continued, and simply smiled when Tomoyo glared daggers at her.

Eriol, like the perfect gentleman that he was, extended his hand to Tomoyo in order to help her out of her chair.

As the pair walked out the door and into the mid-September sunshine, Tomoyo hissed to Ms Chase as she passed:

"And of course, Ms Chase, you're not being obvious at all!"

They had been walking for a few minutes when Tomoyo finally plucked up the courage to say something.

"Listen, about last night, I'm sorry I was so emotional-"

Eriol cut swiftly across her.

"Don't worry about it. We all get like that sometimes. I have to ask one thing though- did you mean it when you said you cared about me already?"

Tomoyo simply stared at her feet and said nothing, but he took her fierce blush to mean that she meant every word.

"I meant what I said, too. I really will sit with you in the darkness forever. I would never abandon you, Daidouji-san, if you just… Just let me in. Just let someone get close to you. You let me, last night. You let your guard down. It scared you, though, so you pushed me away again. But didn't it feel nice to have someone else with you for once? Wasn't it comforting to know that there was someone who you could depend on, even though people have hurt you in the past?"

"How do you know that people hurt me? I never said anything…"

"You didn't have to. It's written in every expression that crosses your face, and in your eyes, it's that haunting shadow…" he trailed off, his gaze trained on the amethyst eyes of the girl standing less than two feet away, almost uncomfortably close…

She tried to tear her gaze from his azure eyes, as she didn't want him to see into the violet of her own. It was too dangerous as he seemed to be able to use them as a window in which he saw all the secrets and things she worked so hard to hide. But, try as she might, amethyst remained locked with sapphire, and she cursed herself.

"You just don't want to admit that it was nice to know that someone else gives a damn about you. And I give more than a damn, Tomoyo. I want to banish the shadows from these eyes…" He drew a finger across her cheekbone and she stopped breathing.

In the village square where they currently were, a young lady was standing next to a CD player. Without warning she began to sing- obviously she was a busker.

Tomoyo still hadn't moved, and Eriol still hadn't lifted his finger from her face.

"Listen, Daidouji-san, I don't know why you have this irrational fear of abandonment, but when I say I'll never leave you, I mean it. Just let me prove it…" He had now busied himself with tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"No! No, dammit!" Tomoyo said angrily, stepping away from him.

"What? Was it something I said?" He asked. She shook her head violently.

"No, no, it's just that… We keep ending up in these romantic situations! I mean, look!"

The busker, who actually sounded rather like Norah Jones, began to sing again, as if to illustrate Tomoyo's point.

"And it looks like someone agrees with me!" Tomoyo exclaimed, referring to the busker.

"Look around, Hiiragizawa-san. We're in a quiet little village square; there's a fountain over there in the background, there are a few people feeding pigeons, the sun is shining and a girl has just begun to sing a love song. Not to mention Ms Chase's attempts to matchmake us, the evening walk and candle-lit conversation… But Hiiragizawa-san, I don't need a boyfriend. I need a friend."

Eriol blinked.

"I know that, Daidouji-san. I know that. And I don't need a girlfriend, but I could sure as hell do with a friend."

Tomoyo then threw herself on him in a hug; her eyes shining joyfully, his smile answering hers as he held his arms out and caught her form.

Eriol smiled and, as he walked away with Tomoyo, he threw a coin into the collection box at the feet of the busking-girl.

**To be continued….**

**A.N. **Short, but hopefully sweet. I just couldn't resist ending on that line, as it was such a nice wrap-up that wouldn't end up feeling forced. This is going down rather a dramatic turn I fear, but it should lighten up when they know each other better and all the events of their lives have been uncovered.

It's fun writing something slower where little details actually do matter, which is probably why this is coming much more easily to me than "Butterflies". Well, it could also be because "Glass Roses" is an ExT where "Butterflies" is an SxS, and anyone will tell you I prefer sapphires and amethysts to cherry blossoms and wolves.

See you next time!

Shattered Midnight Dreams


	5. What Happens When: Lunch is Served

****

The insane musings of the authoress: "Glass Roses" is coming so easily to me that it's actually quite scary. I'm sorry for the long wait- I was very busy for a while but I'm ready to come back to ficcing now, so enjoy chapter five!

****

Special thanks to: All reviewers!

****

Disclaimer: I don't own CCS. Now, if I had a penny for every time I said that, I could… Buy CCS! *laughs*

Glass Roses

__

Chapter five ~ What Happens When: Lunch is Served

"Nakuru, we're home!" Eriol called as he and Tomoyo stepped into the hall, Tomoyo catching the hair that had struggled free in the wind and tucking it securely behind her ears.

"We're?" Nakuru yelled in reply from the kitchen where she was tending to her casserole, "Does that mean you were successful in getting Tomoyo to come?"

"Yes!" Eriol shouted back as he took Tomoyo's coat off her and hung it up next to his own. 

"Good! That means I can get a fellow woman's opinion on my cooking. Hello, Tomoyo!" Nakuru shouted from the kitchen. Tomoyo though that this was perhaps the strangest conversation she had had in a long time, but called experimentally,

"Um, hello, Nakuru?" 

"Hello, Tomoyo! Why don't the two of you come into the kitchen and sample my delicious cooking?" The chocolate-haired woman replied.

"That's what she _says_, but she'll regret it later when we all leave this house in body bags," Eriol muttered to Tomoyo, making her giggle.

"I heard that!" Nakuru said with a small smile as she suddenly appeared in front of them, having walked up from the kitchen. She was wiping her hands on a small dishcloth and was wearing a white apron, also sporting a dash of white flour on her cheek. She looked flushed from the heat of the oven and her eyes were sparkling in anticipation of their opinion. She brushed a strand of hair from her face where it had fallen out of the loose braid that contained the rest of her red hair, staining it white in the process. Nakuru looked nothing short of radiant, Tomoyo thought.

"Ready to tempt death?" Eriol asked Tomoyo in a semi-serious tone, but his expression of one eyebrow raised convinced her he was just joking.

"Hiiragizawa-san! Anyone would think that you didn't _like _Nakuru's cooking!" Tomoyo said in false horror, and Eriol smiled at her.

"Contrary to what Mr Hiiragizawa would have you believe, I cook okay, Tomoyo-chan," Nakuru said, immediately grabbing the younger girl's hand and tugging her to the kitchen where a tempting smell was wafting towards them.

Eriol sighed as he watched them, Nakuru chattering excitedly, Tomoyo looking surprised. Nakuru was doing it again, he thought. Yet another one had become '-chan'. Nakuru took person after person under her wing, letting them get close to her. She genuinely fell in love with every person she met. That was just the way she was.

"But what if this one leaves us too, Nakuru?" Eriol quietly asked the silence.

"Nakuru-chan, I must say that this smells delicious!" Tomoyo exclaimed as Nakuru set a large glass dish on the wooden kitchen table and began heaping the contents on to three plates. 

"Don't you think so, Hiiragizawa-san?" She asked the blue-eyed man sitting across from her. He didn't answer, instead looking thoughtful. Nakuru looked saddened by his lack of reply, so Tomoyo quickly said reassuringly,

"He just doesn't want to admit it." 

Nakuru looked cheered up by this and her bright smile was soon fixed on her face again.

"Yeah, you're right, Tomoyo-chan. Just wait until he tastes it!"

But then her confidence evaporated and she looked worried.

"Well, I _hope _it'll taste okay. It's the first time I've made this dish."

"I'm sure it'll taste perfect, Nakuru," Tomoyo said confidently, before lifting a forkful to her mouth, Nakuru watching nervously all the while.

"Wow, Nakuru, this is really good!" she said as she chewed her mouthful, a sudden smile sprouting on her porcelain face.

"Really? You think so?" Nakuru asked anxiously.

"Uh huh," Tomoyo answered as she promptly took another piece.

"Just try it, Hiiragizawa-san!" Tomoyo said to the man who still hadn't touched his portion. Obediently he ate a forkful, despite looking doubtful and reluctant and smiled when he did so.

"Hey, Nakuru, this is actually good! You didn't put any sugar in it!" He cried in surprise.

"Well, of course she didn't put any sugar in it!" Tomoyo said, sounding surprised herself as she wore a look of utter confusion. 

"It's a beef casserole, right?" she asked, and then looked horrified, as if she were afraid she was about to be told that she had actually just eaten something disgusting like horse meat. 

"Well, you see, that's the thing- Nakuru has a tendency to add sugar to everything…" Eriol said.

"Eh heh heh heh," Nakuru said nervously, rubbing the back of her neck with her hand.

"So you put sugar in the chicken?!" Tomoyo asked incredulously, unsure as to whether she had heard Nakuru quite right. Nakuru blushed.

"Yes, well, the recipe was 'chicken marinated in sugar'! But I put too much sugar in, and they most of it didn't dissolve… But I was so disappointed that it was a failure, so I still served it and just hoped that nobody would notice. It was VERY embarrassing, because when everyone immediately choked and looked revolted when they took a bite, I realised that it must have tasted awful! But the worst thing was that they didn't tell me! They said it was delicious but they suddenly felt sick or they were on diets. Needless to say I never did it again, and I took a cookery course."

"Actually, Nakuru, you took several. It didn't all sink in the first time," Eriol pointed out with a sly grin. Nakuru rolled her eyes.

"All those poor people you must have almost poisoned…." Tomoyo said.

Then she caught sight of her watch and gave a start, yelling,

"Oh no, I'm running late! I have to go!"

"I'll go and get your coat," Nakuru said quickly, jumping up from her chair. 

"I'll walk you back to the bakery," said Eriol when Nakuru returned and helped Tomoyo on with her coat for speed, but it actually ended up taking longer in the end because Nakuru tried to get Tomoyo to put her left arm in the hole for her right arm, and then her long hair got tangled on one of the buttons… 

"I'll come too!" Nakuru chimed in when Tomoyo's coat was finally and safely on her.

"You really don't have to, but it would be lovely if you did," Tomoyo said with a small smile.

~

"There you are!" Ms Chase exclaimed delightedly when she saw Nakuru, Eriol and Tomoyo arrive at her store.

"Yes, I'm sorry I'm late," Tomoyo apologised as she hung her coat up on one of the hooks just inside the door. Ms Chase made an impatient gesture with her hands.

"That doesn't matter," she said, as if Tomoyo were silly to even think such a thing, "how was your lunch?"

"Delicious. Nakuru is quite the chef," Tomoyo said.

"Well, of course…. Nakuru-san, is that your name? Would you please come back here with me?" Ms Chase asked Nakuru.

"Sure," the brunette replied, following Ms Chase into the back of the store.

"We'll only be a few moments," Ms Chase called back to Tomoyo and Eriol.

"I daresay they won't mind us leaving them," Nakuru said to Ms Chase when they were safely out of earshot of the two teens.

"Yes, and Isabelle, you are positively the worst actress I have ever seen!" Nakuru laughed, and Ms Chase looked apologetic. 

"I never said I was good at it, Nakuru. But they mustn't know that we are friends," Ms Chase, or rather 'Isabelle', replied.

"Of course not!" Nakuru exclaimed in a horrified voice.

"How on earth would we carry out our matchmaking then? Oh, and I have a bone to pick with you, Isabelle. Why didn't you tell me about Tomoyo the minute she walked through your door?" Nakuru asked, eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Well, after our last disaster of a matchmaking attempt, I wasn't so sure…. Besides, Hiiragizawa-san took care of that all by himself! He came here the very day she started work!"

Nakuru shuddered.

"That reminds me, do you remember Yukino? She was…."

"Absolutely awful? I know," Isabelle said with a grin at Nakuru's horror.

"But…." Nakuru began.

"Tomoyo's not like that," Isabelle continued.

"Tomoyo's like him," Nakuru said.

"Yes. And I do believe, Nakuru, that we have struck gold."

"Perhaps, but before we start celebrating, we have to watch them carefully. I have a feeling that they are determined to keep this a 'just friends' thing," Nakuru said thoughtfully.

"We will just have to convince them otherwise then, won't we?" Isabelle said cheerfully.

"I don't think it will be that simple…." Nakuru said doubtfully.

"Hey, don't get all pessimistic on me already! We are only at the beginning of our project!" Isabelle reminded her.

"I suppose so," Nakuru said, cheering up.

~

"I feel sick just _looking _at cake," Eriol said as he looked at the display in front of him. Tomoyo giggled.

"You say that like you didn't bring it all upon yourself!" Tomoyo said.

"Is everything okay, Ms Chase, Nakuru-chan?" Tomoyo asked concernedly as her employer and her friend re-entered the main body of the store.

"Absolutely fine, Tomoyo-chan dear," Nakuru answered, giving a small smile in return for the younger girl's concern.

"Listen," Nakuru began, "Eriol and I had better go, but I suppose we'll probably see you tomorrow?"

"Hopefully," Tomoyo said with a cheerful smile as the black-haired man and his cousin exited the store. She watched them leave with a dreamy half-smile on her face. Ms Chase smiled to herself when she saw Tomoyo who hadn't moved in minutes.

"So," the employer said teasingly as she passed the raven-haired girl, "flirting, lunch dates, walks in the dark… Whatever next?" 

Tomoyo rolled her eyes and tried to convince herself that she wasn't blushing.

"You're so funny, Ms Chase," she began sarcastically before the penny dropped.

"But wait, how do you know about the walk in the dark?" Tomoyo asked, looking confused.

"Let's just say that I have my ways," Ms Chase said mysteriously. Nakuru, had, of course, informed her when Eriol came home that night and was provoked into telling where he had been.

~

"Tomoyo-chan!" Nakuru called delightedly when they entered Chase Bakery the next morning.

"Yes, I'm here, Nakuru-chan!" Tomoyo called as she stumbled out of the back of the store, covered in flour.

"I wanted to ask you something. Well, actually, Eriol here wanted to ask you something but he was too much of a wuss so I said I would do it for him!" Nakuru exclaimed cheerfully.

"Nakuru!" Eriol said in warning tones as he blushed.

"Eriol wants you to model for him so he can paint you! He's an artist, you know!" Nakuru said happily, her hands clasped in front of her face as hearts appeared in her eyes at the mental picture of Eriol painting Tomoyo.

"If you wouldn't mind, Daidouji-san," Eriol said quietly, his blush getting worse.

"I know that you can't do it right now, but perhaps on Saturday?" he continued, looking hopefully at her.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, a blush of her own appearing.

"I don't think I would make a very nice subject for a painting…" she said hesitantly.

"Of course you would! You're patient, so you could sit without complaining and you're so very beautiful…" His fierce objection trailed off as his face colour became even worse. _How _could he have let himself say that?

"Oh…" Tomoyo said again, for her burning face appeared to have shrunk her vocabulary. The two teens now looked a picture of awkwardness, Tomoyo looking surprised, Eriol looking nervous, both not daring to look away from the other… Rather adorable, really, in Nakuru's opinion.

"But, if you don't want to then that's okay," Eriol said softly.

"No! A favour for a friend. Of course I-" Tomoyo began, fiercely proving him wrong.

"What's going on out here?" Ms Chase asked as she, too, emerged from the back of the store.

Tomoyo and Eriol froze, Tomoyo's frantic arm movements halted as they sweatdropped.

"Well," Nakuru began, taking over the role of chief explainer, "Eriol here wants Tomoyo-chan to model so he can paint her, and she's just agreed."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Ms Chase crowed.

"But since Tomoyo-chan is _working_, they'll just have to wait for a Saturday," Nakuru said with a sorrowful sigh, her eyebrow raised at Ms Chase, indicating a secret, different meaning entirely.

"Well, I'm sure I could let her take the day off!" Ms Chase said cheerfully. Tomoyo couldn't quite believe her ears.

"Oh, but I couldn't let you-" Tomoyo began in protest.

"I'll help out!" Nakuru insisted suddenly, swiftly executing Tomoyo's floundering, pathetic excuse for a protest.

"I'm sure it's not that hard, and I'll be happy to learn!" Nakuru continued, now speaking to Isabelle.

"Well, then, that will work out beautifully! You two go have fun, and Akizuki-san and I will hold up shop here," Ms Chase said, grinning in such a fashion that it was actually rather frightening, before she and her redheaded companion practically psychically bundled the reluctant couple out of the door.

"And that," Ms Chase said to Nakuru once Eriol and Tomoyo were a safe distance away, "is _definitely _how it's done."

The two of them nodded at each other before collapsing into undignified giggles.

****

A.N. This chapter, I think, gets a little strange in the middle because I got lost. Also, I lost interest in 'Glass Roses' for ages then got a sudden urge to pick it up again and really, seriously do some work on it, and so I got my ass in gear and sorted out the terrible mess that chapter five had become.

Well, when I say 'sorted out', I just tried my best ^_~

^Shattered Midnight Dreams^

Because life's like that sometimes… 


	6. What Happens When: ET Get Artistic

**_The insane musings of the authoress: _**How will the painting go? Only chapter six will tell!

**_Special Thanks to: _**All reviewers!

**_Disclaimer: _**CCS isn't mine. Now, if I had a penny for every time I said that, I could… Buy CCS! Shattered laughs

**_Glass Roses_**

**_Chapter six What Happens When: E+T Get Artistic_**

Tomoyo and Eriol were seated on a hillside just outside Tomoeda, Tomoyo looking distinctly uncomfortable as Eriol instructed her on how to sit. The soft grass underneath her made a fine seat and the sunlight was streaming down through the gaps in the leaves on the trees. Birds were singing, and the sky was a shade of the most impossible blue. Rather like Hiiragizawa-san's eyes, Tomoyo mused.

She smiled nervously and arranged her hands in her lap uneasily. Eriol sighed and shook his head, walking over from the spot a few feet away where he was setting up his easel.

"It's not your fault. My instructions must be poor," Eriol said softly as he picked up her arms gently by her wrists and positioned them the way her wanted in her lap. Her breath caught in her throat and she flushed at where he was touching her.

"I'm sorry I have to…" he began. She shook her head.

"No, it's okay. I understand that it has to look perfect," she replied, purposefully looking away from him. He seemed to finally be happy with the positioning of her hands and moved on to her face.

He gently tilted her head a little before pulling a strand of hair so it would line her jawbone. Tomoyo forced to herself to ignore the fact that she could feel his breath on her face and fought to control her own breathing. She silently willed her heart's beat to calm itself or he would surely feel the frenzied passage of blood through her skin.

How could she let herself fall apart like this?

"Now, look at me and smile," he instructed. Though it was the last thing she wanted to do, she obeyed.

"There. You look magnificent," Eriol said softly, staring into her violet eyes, his fingers still on her chin. He was centimeters from her and her eyes fell closed of their own account as he licked his lips unconsciously. He leaned ever so slightly closer to her but…

A butterfly landed on Tomoyo's hair and ruined the mood, for Eriol immediately jumped back, shocked and when the thing Tomoyo had been waiting for didn't happen, her eyes opened and she looked confused.

"A butterfly just landed on your hair!" Eriol filled her in as he ran to his easel.

"Oh," she replied, trying to look pleased.

Perhaps it was for the best. The last thing their tentative friendship needed was for Tomoyo to fall in love with Eriol, or him with her, for that matter. She gave a genuine, beaming smile and Eriol stopped his frantic sketching for a moment to stare at her.

The beauty of the nature around her paled in comparison to her. The birds could sing and the sun could shine, butterflies could flap their wings and leaves could rustle while dewdrops shone, but still… They still didn't…

Damn, but this was bad. He shoved those thoughts out of his mind as Tomoyo said, sounding worried,

"You're not working- is something wrong? Did I go out of position?"

"No, no. You still look perfect," Eriol replied, sounding uneasy. In fact, he doubted Venus herself would look better…

"Oh dear!" Nakuru cried as yet another bag of flour exploded.

"Nakuru, dear," Isabelle said calmly as she passed with her arms filled with boxes, "I don't think baking is quite your thing. Why don't I take care of the bread-baking and you can take these boxes out into the main body of the shop?" she suggested kindly.

"I'm sorry I'm not more useful," Nakuru said, sounding deeply unhappy. Isabelle laughed.

"Don't worry. You're doing fine back here, but I think you would be better taking care of customers and the cake display and things like that. In fact, I just heard the bell, so you go and deal with whomever it is, okay?" Nakuru smiled and nodded, looking relieved that she could finally be a help and not a hindrance.

"Oh," Isabelle heard her say from the front of the store, "Ichiro-san, how nice to see you…"

And by the sounds of things, Nakuru was nervous. Isabelle could just picture her friend blushing and twirling a strand of hair around her finger.

"My, my, Akizuki-san, you look lovely today, I must say," came the man's deep-voiced reply.

Isabelle fought the urge to laugh. She may as well rename the place 'Matchmaker's Bakery' since everyone seemed to find their match here! Now, if only she could find her own…

Tomoyo had been sitting in silence for an hour while Eriol sketched her face in preparation for painting. By some miracle, the butterfly was still sitting as serenely as ever on her head and Eriol wondered if it had perhaps fallen asleep. If butterflies slept, that was- he didn't really know.

The only noise was provided by the battery-powered radio Eriol had brought with them and which was faintly playing a mixture of music, such as pop, rock, classical etc.

"You can talk to me now," he told her and she looked relieved, "I've finished sketching your face and am moving on to your body, so it's okay."

"So," she asked, "how's it looking?"

"I think it's going okay. I hope I do you justice," Eriol said, looking critically at his work on the canvas in front of him. Tomoyo blushed but didn't seem to have a suitable reply as she chose to remain silent.

Mr Ichiro-san must have been served because Nakuru fell silent after the bell above the door rang again, signalling someone's departure.

"So how come you never mentioned lover boy?" Isabelle asked in a teasing tone of voice when she joined her redheaded friend in the front of the store. Nakuru flushed even more if that were humanely possible.

"Oh, I… He's not interested in me, so I thought there was no need to tell you… Besides, I barely know him! I've seen him around the town a few times, that's all," Nakuru said in a rush, obviously not sure of what she was saying.

"And you say he's not interested?" Isabelle asked with an eyebrow raised, the picture of skepticism.

"Yes. Because he's _not_!" Nakuru said defensively.

"And I thought that, after all these years of trying to matchmake various members of the community, you'd know a besotted guy when you saw one," Isabelle said with a sly grin in Nakuru's direction.

"I DO know what a besotted guy looks like- but Ichiro-san DOESN'T look like one!" Nakuru yelled after Isabelle as the bakery owner giggled and ran to the back of the store.

Two hours after they began, Eriol had finally finished his sketch and was looking at it and correcting any small mistakes before he started to add colour. Tomoyo had proved the perfect model, moving so little it was as if she was made of ice.

"I promise I'll take you out for lunch when we're done, okay?" Eriol said as he picked up his paintbrush.

"No! It's not 'okay'! Absolutely not!" Tomoyo said, sounding horrified, her fists clenched as she leant forward.Eriol paused with his paintbrush in midair.

"Do you not want to have lunch with me? Nakuru can come too, if that's what-"

"No, no, that's not it," Tomoyo said, shaking her head vigorously, "I mean that I couldn't possibly let you take me out. You've been so kind already-"

Now it was Eriol's turn to cut Tomoyo's sentence short.

"No, please, I have to repay you for sitting so patiently and so still," Eriol said; now shaking _his _head.

"Well, I suppose…" Tomoyo said, brow furrowed as she looked at the ground and was slowly won over.

"If Ms Chase doesn't mind me going out for a long lunch again," Tomoyo added. Eriol raised an eyebrow and smiled at her.

"Do you really not see what's going on there?" Eriol asked, sounding disbelieving. Tomoyo smiled fondly.

"Of course I do, but let's just go along with it, okay? Match-making us makes her happy and… It's not the worst thing in the world, right? It's not like it puts us to any sort of a disadvantage," Tomoyo reasoned.

"You really are a kind person, Daidouji-san," Eriol said with a smile as he looked up at her from his painting. Tomoyo blushed.

"Not really. I mean, if you can make someone happy then shouldn't you?" Tomoyo asked, quick to try and make herself look less good.

"You obviously don't realise that it is sometimes the smallest gestures that make the most impact," Eriol said in a tone of voice that could almost be described as teasing.

Tomoyo didn't know what to say to this, so she just smiled and looked at a point beyond Eriol's shoulder. He, taking her lead, also did not pursue the matter further, instead concentrating hard on sketching Tomoyo's form, the creamy arch of her neck, the graceful slope of her shoulders falling to join a perfectly straight back…

She was an artist's dream, and he took every delight in portraying her basking in her natural beauty as sunbeams kissed her hair, her eyelashes, her pale, pale skin… He gulped, and returned his attention to the canvas.

Nakuru was still out in the front of the store waiting for customers. Isabelle, it seemed, was doing nothing, for Nakuru hadn't seen her in such a long time. Nakuru drew patterns on the countertop with her finger and sighed wearily. This certainly wasn't the most interesting job in the world and she was more than glad that she didn't have to do it regularly.

It had been four hours since he first started painting Tomoyo, and finally Eriol painted the last brush stroke of Tomoyo's raven head of hair, and the picture was finished. He sat back and smiled as he looked from the real Tomoyo to the canvas and back again, comparing the two. He seemed satisfied, if his actions were any indication.

"How does it look?" Tomoyo asked timidly, supposing that it was finished.

"It looks… Good. I think. You were the perfect model, I-" Eriol began, but abruptly stopped when Tomoyo pressed her finger to her lips and got up from her seat, walking over to the radio and turning the volume up.

He couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face when he heard the familiar first line. Of course the radio would play this song when he was with Tomoyo. Of course.

"Dance with me?" Tomoyo asked suddenly, looking shy. She wasn't quite sure why she asked him, but she just felt like it would be… Right.

"What, now? Right here?" Eriol asked, looking surprised. Tomoyo blushed, certain that Eriol thought her odd.

Eriol shrugged.

"If you want to, then okay."

They moved together into the centre of the clearing and Eriol's hand went to Tomoyo's waist. Tomoyo's arm went up to Eriol's shoulder and their free hands caught each other.

They waltzed slowly around on the grass, Tomoyo's smile soft and gentle.

"This is one of the strangest things I have ever done in my life," Eriol muttered.

"You mean you don't spontaneously begin to dance on grassy hilltops with your models?" Tomoyo asked, her voice heavy with sweetly sarcastic surprise.

"I suppose I should expect it by now- you make me do the strangest things, Daidouji-san," Eriol murmured to the girl a few inches below him. She simply craned her neck to smile up at him.

He had pulled her closer. Had he meant to? Was he conscious of it? Had he done it on purpose? Was she being obsessive? Definitely- this was just part of the dance. It just felt so _weird_. So different.

This, he thought, was rather nice. He was growing to like this song. He didn't like the reasons why.

They twirled in a blur of pale skin and dark hair, Tomoyo's ankle-length dress swirling and wrapping alternatively around their ankles, her hair falling in a glittering raven waterfall as it kissed her shoulder and his and their hands.

Tomoyo was certainly very _warm_. Warm and soft. And her hair smelt of vanilla and lavender and roses and… Eriol felt dizzy just thinking about it. And she was a marvellous dancer. But then again, he didn't really know very much about her yet, so that shouldn't come as a surprise.

Eriol had to laugh- Tomoyo was clinging to him, eyes shut tight.

"I do believe," Eriol said, his voice betraying the fact that he was fighting back another laugh, "that the song is over, my dear Daidouji-san."

Tomoyo opened one eye but didn't move her head from its position on his chest.

"Really? I was afraid of that. Do we have to stop?" she asked.

"Well, they're playing Nirvana now, so I don't think that's really suited to ballroom dancing. Come on, let's go get lunch," Eriol said as Tomoyo reluctantly let go of him. She smiled and nodded and they walked away, Eriol carrying his easel, Tomoyo carrying the radio.

Suddenly Eriol shifted his grip on his easel and grabbed Tomoyo's hand with his newly-free hand. Just because he wanted to, and because he didn't think she'd object. When her smile brightened considerably and she gripped his fingers back gently, he knew he'd made a good choice.

At any rate, Ms Chase and Nakuru would be pleased.

**A.N.**What a delightfully fun chapter to write! As to the re-occurrence of 'Come Away With Me', I'm afraid I'm rather obsessed with it. Just, it makes me think of E+T every time now, so listening to it is so comforting… Again, thanks for the reviews. I'll see you next chapter.

Shattered Midnight Dreams

Because life's like that sometimes…


	7. What Happens When: ET Do Lunch

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The insane musings of the authoress: Chapter seven of "Glass Roses"! I hope you enjoy it!

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Disclaimer: CCS is not mine. Now, if I had a penny for every time I said that, I could… Buy CCS!

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Special thanks to: All reviewers. You guys taking the time out to type something for me really makes my day. Thank you all so much.

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Glass Roses Seven What Happens When: ET Do Lunch

Nakuru and Isabelle's faces had been a picture when Eriol and Tomoyo arrived back that day holding hands. They had meant to let go before they entered the bakery, but had quite… Forgotten.

The two matchmakers in question looked like Christmas had arrived early, and their joy only intensified when the two teens looked puzzled as to why the two women were so delighted, then quickly figured out why Nakuru and Isabelle were throwing such meaningful glances at their clasped hands.

Then, of course, the two immediately dropped each other's hands so fast it was as if they had been burned and flushed spectacularly.

"Now, you two," Eriol began in warning tones, "don't go reading too much into this, we were just-"

"I was cold," Tomoyo interrupted, "and so Hiiragizawa-san offered to keep my hand warm for me."

Neither matchmaker looked even slightly convinced, and Tomoyo wasn't surprised- that really was an awful excuse, but the best she could think up under the circumstances.

"Tomoyo-chan, dear, that's complete and utter rubbish. The sun's shining like crazy out there," Nakuru said with the calm air of someone telling a four-year-old that two and two did not equal five, not matter how hard they tried.

"But I'm really sensitive to the cold…" Tomoyo protested in a mumble that suggested her terrible lying wasn't even convincing herself.

"Yes, dear, I'm sure you are, but it's rather hard to be sensitive to the cold when there isn't any," Isabelle said, trying hard not to laugh.

But that was an hour ago, and currently Tomoyo and Eriol were seated in a nice café down the street, peering at a menu and wondering what to have for lunch. Nakuru and Isabelle had, of course, practically wet themselves in excitement when Eriol and Tomoyo told them they would be going out together for lunch, and would Nakuru or Isabelle like to join them by any chance?

There was no point in even asking the question- the two matchmakers couldn't shove the 'couple' out the door fast enough as they squealed happily about 'Eriol and Tomoyo's first real 'date'!'

A waitress turned up suddenly and asked if they were ready to order. Eriol promptly ordered a glass of water and the soup of the day. Tomoyo laughed and pretended to sound outraged that he had ordered what she was just about to before requesting the same thing.

"You know," Eriol said thoughtfully as the brunette waitress walked away, "I think those two are in cahoots."

Tomoyo laughed.

"Definitely. But they're just so cute and funny!"

"You really are a kind, tolerant person, Daidouji-san," Eriol said without thinking.

"Oh, I don't have to be tolerant- I genuinely love them! And you too," Tomoyo replied quickly and cheerfully with a beaming smile before she realised the implication of what she had just said, and tried immediately to correct herself.

"I mean, you and Nakuru and Ms Chase were the first people to be kind to me when I moved here. I was so worried- I'd never been away from home for more than a few nights before I came here, if you can believe that. You guys took me in, I suppose, and I love you all for it," Tomoyo said as she took a sip of her water.

'She's just like Nakuru,' Eriol thought, 'She has a heart big enough for everyone.'

Tomoyo looked slightly worried when he didn't say anything to her hurried explanation, so even though he didn't know he was supposed to answer, he said,

"I love you too, you know. Really, I do. I'm glad I met you."

Tomoyo blushed in either pleasure or embarrassment, he wasn't quite sure which.

"I've never before told anyone outside my family that I love them," Eriol continued almost absent-mindedly as he looked around himself.

"Me neither. I have loved people outside my family- I could honestly say that I've loved a lot of people, but I've never fallen IN love with anyone. And some of the people I loved, I never… Told them I loved them. Maybe I should have. I don't think I have ever told the people I love that I love them often enough- that's why if I love someone now, I like to tell them. Because, maybe if I had before, then things would be different now…"

Tomoyo's words interested Eriol greatly- what had happened to her to make her want to tell everyone when she loved them? What would have been different? But Tomoyo looked so pained at that moment that he hadn't the heart to press the matter further, and it seemed that she had almost been talking to herself, so perhaps he could just pretend he hadn't heard.

"But that was a long time ago. Everything's okay now," she sent him a happy smile, and the sad look was wiped away so magnificently it was as if it had never graced her beautiful face.

"Someone hurt you in the past, didn't they?" Eriol asked carefully, gently, as if Tomoyo were a little, wild animal that might dart at any moment. Her amethyst eyes were wide, but she managed a small, humourless chuckle.

"No. It wasn't someone. It was EVERYONE. So many people hurt me… But I deserved it. I'm a coward - I ran away, didn't I?"

She was gazing almost desperately across the table at him, like she wanted him to tell her that it was alright, that she was wrong - it wasn't her fault, like she wanted to be reassured that she wasn't a coward…

"Oh, why am I even asking you? It's not like you know," Tomoyo said with a weary, ironic smile.

"Tell me," Eriol said suddenly, his azure eyes holding hers as he reached across the table to take her hand in his, "please. I want to know - I want to help you. I don't ever want to see you look sad like that again."

Tomoyo looked, shocked, at their hands before tentatively intertwining her fingers through his.

"I don't want to talk about it right now. We had such a wonderful morning, and I'm spoiling it… I'm so sorry," Tomoyo said, her voice a whisper, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

"Don't you dare apologise," Eriol said in a mock stern tone, and Tomoyo giggled as she wiped her eyes with her one free hand. Eriol got the feeling she had said sorry too many times in the past. And, probably, for things she hadn't even done.

"I promise I'll tell you sometime. Just not now," Tomoyo said quietly. Eriol smiled.

"There's no rush- tell me when you're ready. I'll be ready whenever."

Tomoyo smiled gratefully as their orders arrived, and they spent the rest of lunch eating and talking and laughing, like nothing had happened.

He was getting closer than anyone else had bothered to try to. Well, actually, that wasn't true, many people had tried and failed. He was getting closer and closer, so close that warning bells went off in her head, those warning bells that had been installed after…

She really didn't need to think about any of that- she didn't need to start crying right now. But those warning bells went off, getting louder and louder, trying to stop her from… What? Letting another person close to her? No. From making another mistake. People meant mistakes. People WERE mistakes.

They hurt, poked, prodded and criticised without any regard for anyone else's feelings, they bitched and backstabbed, used and discarded… But most of all, they didn't care. They could run away and not even feel guilty.

The scariest thing was that she couldn't control them. And she couldn't control herself around them.

She let him get really far in today. She was tired of running, of shielding herself, of guarding herself. Was it worth it anymore? At the last minute she pulled herself together and pushed him away. She gave in to the din of the warning bells. But she had managed to ignore them for a long time today. Maybe, someday, she'd beat them.

And now she was kidding herself. She NEEDED those warning bells- they kept her safe and sane…

And alone. Heartbreakingly, heartrendingly alone. Wouldn't it be easier to let him have her? To tell him everything, to watch him pretend to understand, then watch him run away. And he would run away, in the end. She was too much work to be worth it.

And she'd laugh when he did. Because she'd be proved right again. And she'd give herself up to the shadows. Because, try as she might, she couldn't hold up for much longer.

There was a knock at Tomoyo's door later that night, around eight P.M. Tomoyo was confused as to who it was, but she went and answered the door.

"Hiiragizawa-san, hello," she said, trying to keep the surprise out of her voice.

"Hi, Daidouji-san," he replied. Then they stood there, the black-haired man on her doorstep, the violet-haired girl still holding the door open with a look of surprise on her face.

"Oh," Eriol said with a blush, "I suppose I should tell you why I'm here!"

Tomoyo sweatdropped.

"That might be nice," she said, trying to keep a smile off her face and failing.

"I wondered if you would come for a drive with me," he replied. Tomoyo only looked even more confused.

"I didn't know you could drive," she said.

"Oh, I can, but I only passed my test recently and I don't have my own car yet. Of course, Nakuru was only too happy to lend me hers on the condition I 'took Tomoyo-chan with me wherever it was I was going'," Eriol said with a roll of his eyes.

"I can imagine," Tomoyo said, smiling.

"So, will you come?" Eriol asked, looking hopeful.

"Where exactly are you going?" she fired back, an eyebrow raised.

"It's a secret," he said with a wink.

"In that case," Tomoyo began, her smile widening, "I'll simply have to go, won't I?"

A few minutes later Tomoyo and Eriol were walking down the street to where the car was parked, after Tomoyo had locked up her house.

'I'm sorry,' Tomoyo thought, 'for ever thinking you would run out on me, Hiiragizawa-san.'

A.N. Sorry this took so long to update - I have exams until June 12th, so I'm horrendously busy right now, and most of the little free time I have is being devoted to my other fic, 'Butterflies'.

Anyway, Tomoyo finds it hard to trust people, you see, so it can be like 'one step forward, two steps back' when it comes to getting close to her. Sorry it got so dramatic in the middle- Tomoyo's frightened; untrusting nature will be explained soon.

Anyway, I don't have much to say… So I guess I'll just see you next update!

Shattered Midnight Dreams

Because life's like that sometimes…


	8. What Happens When: Tomoyo Breaks

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The insane musings of the authoress: Sorry this chapter took so long. It took me a couple of months to write it the first time around, and then my pc crashed and I lost EVERYTHING. And I mean EVERYTHING. I had to reconstruct this chapter from my hazy memories of the original eighth chapter. The original was probably better, but I did my best.

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Special thanks to: My mom, for being sympathetic with me when I lost months of work, and for valiantly trying to get it back for me, even though we all knew she couldn't.

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Disclaimer: CCS is not mine, nor is Norah Jones' gorgeous 'Come Away With Me.'

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Glass Roses

Chapter Eight

What Happens When: Tomoyo Starts To Break

Silence reigned in the car as Eriol drove them to wherever it was they were going. It could, Tomoyo supposed, be pretty much anywhere - Eriol hadn't told her anything. All she knew was that it must have been somewhere pretty special to him. She didn't know enough to make a less vague guess.

It was a soft, comforting silence that enveloped the space, and music fell softly around them like rose petals as the radio serenaded them. Eriol suddenly began to laugh, and Tomoyo looked at him, an eyebrow quirked, clearly confused but curious.

"Are you laughing at me?"

It was an accusation made in fun; she didn't really believe he was laughing at her. He shook his head in answer, but silently turned up the volume on the radio.

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'Come away with me…'

"I do believe that song is stalking us," Tomoyo said with a smile, but pretending to look very serious. The smile was wiped off Eriol's face as he made his expression jokingly stern to match Tomoyo's.

"Perhaps so, Miss Daidouji. What do you propose we do about it?" he asked, his hand on his chin in the classic 'thinking' pose.

Tomoyo had an idea as to what might be done in order to banish the song, but she blushed and decided she would keep it to herself.

"It's not as though we really need to be rid of it," Tomoyo said thoughtfully, "I think we can bear it."

"Actually, I don't believe it requires bearing," said Eriol as he turned left, "I confess I've grown to like it. It's rather beautiful."

"Isn't it funny," said Tomoyo softly as she watched him frown in concentration as he struggled to turn left then right in quick succession, "how the most beautiful things are the easiest to bear? I know a girl who isn't exactly what most people would define as beautiful on the outside, but she has a heart of gold. And yet, she is overlooked. Is that fair? Is it right? There are people who are beautiful to behold, but they are hollow inside. And yet, people always look to them first. They look past girls like my friend. And very few people even know about her golden heart, because they don't take the time to look and see."

She looked at him and he looked back at her, and she continued,

"She's one of the most beautiful people I know. And I wish people could look at her and see that."

"Do you wish you were like your friend?" Eriol asked.

"What do you mean?" Tomoyo asked.

"A plain exterior but containing a heart of gold."

"I don't know what I want. Perhaps it's not in us that the faults are found. Perhaps it's in the way other people see us. Perhaps we just can't project the image we wish we could. I'm not that beautiful. Not the most beautiful. Aunt Nadeshiko was the most beautiful…"

And with that, Tomoyo's eyes opened wide and then she burst into sudden tears, gasps and sobs puncturing the silence that had once been placid and peaceful, startling Eriol so much that he almost stepped harshly on the break.

"Daidouji-san?" he asked, sounding anxious. She couldn't or wouldn't answer, but kept on sobbing.

"Aunt Nadeshiko and Sakura-chan!" she choked, and now Eriol was extremely confused. Who on earth was she talking about? And why on earth did they make her so upset? If he found out who they were, he'd kill them for hurting Daidouji-san.

Eriol now felt rather alarmed. Tomoyo wasn't making sense, and she was choking as rivers of tears, mucus and saliva ran down her face.

"Calm down!" Eriol said sternly, "concentrate on breathing, slowly and deeply, in and out. You must stop crying, or you will make yourself sick."

He glanced over at her now and then as he drove, looking frantically for somewhere they could stop. Tomoyo's desperate sobs quietened to snuffles, and Eriol breathed a sigh of relief. Then they passed some cherry blossom trees in full bloom, and she began to cry again.

It didn't make sense to Eriol for a moment, but then he realised - _Sakura _blossoms. She had mentioned a 'Sakura'.

"I miss her," Tomoyo whispered.

Eriol had, at that moment, spotted a place where they could stop - a wooden bench by the side of the road, which was on the outskirts of a park. He pulled over and helped Tomoyo to the bench, where they both flopped down, exhausted, Tomoyo still weeping.

"Okay," said Eriol as he rubbed her back and she sobbed into a paper handkerchief he gave her, "let it all out."

She sobbed, spluttered and coughed into Eriol's shirt as he held her close, hugging her and rubbing her back. She created a soaking patch in the blue fabric before she was through.

"Better?" he asked when she had stopped crying and began to blow her nose and wipe her red, swollen, tired eyes. She nodded weakly.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" Eriol asked her as children played in the park behind them, their laughter shattering the silence of the evening.

Tomoyo said nothing.

"Please? I don't know what it is, and maybe if you told me I couldn't even help, but I could try. And I would listen. Please, Tomoyo," he said, then realised his mistake.

"Sorry, I mean, Daidouji-san," he corrected himself but Tomoyo smiled and shook her head.

"No, it should be 'Tomoyo', shouldn't it, if I'm going to bear my soul to you," she said. Eriol smiled and sat silently, politely waiting for her to begin.

"Picture me as a little girl. I was all big eyes and long curls. My mother doted on me. She would tie my curls into two ponytails on either side of my head, and dress me in pretty pink dresses. She never stopped telling me how cute and adorable I was, and how much she loved me," Tomoyo began, her voice still a little shaky after all that crying.

"But she didn't really want me. She wanted another - my aunt, Nadeshiko. My aunt passed away when I was very little. That was when it all went wrong…

I look very like Nadeshiko, so my mother set about making me into a living memory of her deceased cousin. She started with my name - Tomoyo Nadeshiko Daidouji. She had the 'Nadeshiko' added after my aunt died.

She had me take music classes, as Nadeshiko loved music, and had me signed to a modelling agency, because that was what Nadeshiko did for a living. I was taught to make tea and sweets - my aunt's favourite foods. It was a nightmare - I was a puppet on a string.

Mother controlled every aspect of my life - I wasn't allowed to date when I got older, because mother had lost Nadeshiko to a man, Fujitaka, whose fault it was that dearest Nadeshiko had died, or so my mother thought. Still I desperately sought her approval, and continued to do everything she said, never thinking I might be allowed to do something _I_ wanted, for once.

Then, when I was ten, my mother found Nadeshiko's daughter, Sakura. Even though I look more like Nadeshiko than Sakura does, Sakura was the last thing Nadeshiko left in the world, so naturally she was much more precious than I could ever hope to be. I was forgotten, but like the silly little girl I was, I thought that if I tried hard enough, she would remember about her daughter, Tomoyo.

I fell foul of the Amamiya family curse, and fell in love with Sakura, my cousin. Just like my mother Sonomi fell in love with her cousin Nadeshiko. But Sakura found her soulmate in someone else - a boy named Li Syaoran.

I was at breaking point. My mother was never home. My father was gone - he had walked out on us years earlier. I felt nobody wanted me. What was I doing wrong?

Then, mother announced that she would be coming to the piano recital I was in. It was a month before my seventeenth birthday. I was so excited - she had never bothered to turn up to any before that. Maybe I had cracked it, and had started doing something right.

Then, mother said she wanted me to wear white, Nadeshiko's favourite colour, and she wanted to put Nadeshiko flowers in my hair!

I snapped.

I yelled at her that I was tired of trying so hard to be something I wasn't just to please a silly woman who couldn't let go. In the cruellest voice I could muster, I said that Nadeshiko didn't even _want_ her! Nadeshiko wanted Fujitaka, who was a kind, sweet man, and who could blame her? Who could blame Nadeshiko for choosing him over a jealous, controlling woman like Sonomi?

I screamed that people weren't meant to be mirror images. I asked her, did she even know my favourite book? Did she even know what I was afraid of? Did she know what I wanted to be when I got older? She said that she didn't. She looked so weary and defeated.

I asked her why she couldn't love me for who _I _was. I asked her why I should never have anything _I _wanted. I asked why I shouldn't have anyone to love. Why I should have to watch everyone else be happy, and smile through my pain just so nobody worried? But then, to want a piece of happiness for myself, maybe that was selfish.

I told her I knew how it felt, not to be wanted. Nobody wanted me - I was nobody's number one. Sakura's number one was her beloved Syaoran, and Sonomi's was Nadeshiko. My father's number one wasn't me or my mother, as neither of us was enough to keep him from leaving.

Then I shouted that I didn't want her either - and I stormed past her to my room, where I packed a bag. Then I came back down the stairs and walked straight past her and out the door. She just sat there, watching me with tired eyes, like she was frozen. Like she couldn't believe she was there. Like she couldn't believe calm, controlled Tomoyo could ever yell like that.

She didn't even try to stop me - didn't call after me, didn't apologise."

Tomoyo stopped for a moment to take a breath, smiled a small, bitter smile then ploughed on.

"I caught a bus out here - I didn't even know where I was going. I checked into a hotel for a while, and I looked for a house. I found the one I live in now, and I spent my seventeenth birthday lying on my living room floor, among all the boxes, weeping.

I came here to get away from it all. I ran away. But it's only getting worse. The fear that one of them will come get me, and drag me back - and the fear that nobody cares I'm gone - eat away at my insides.

Then I met you - and I was scared as well as happy. I knew that you could be my downfall - you might just break me. And I was right - you got further than I had ever allowed anyone to get. But, every time you got close to breaking through, I stopped you just in time and pushed you away. I could never tell anyone about what I left behind.

It was my fault, and if it hurt to bear the secret, then I would. I deserved the pain.

But now I'm tired of fighting to maintain glass barriers I wish I didn't need. The glass is breaking, Eriol - and I am breaking too."

Eriol's vision swam as he looked at her. She was turned to him, violet eyes sad but dry. There was a funny sort of look in her eyes - a gleam of desperation, perhaps?

"I didn't know," he said as he gathered her up into his arms, and although she was surprised, she let him cuddle her close, "I'm sorry, Tomoyo. I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault," she whispered.

"I'm sorry," he said again as he buried his face in her long hair.

"Stop saying sorry," said Tomoyo in mock irritation, "you're making me feel bad. I don't deserve your pity. You're such a good person…"

"And that makes you an even better one," said Eriol firmly. Tomoyo laughed weakly.

"I wish I knew how to make it better," he said quietly.

"You did. Just by listening. Thank you," she said.

"I love you," Eriol said from his position buried in her sweet-smelling hair, "we all love you - Nakuru and Ms Chase and I. I know it doesn't make up for what you lost, but we'll love you as hard as we can."

Tomoyo could feel her eyes well with tears again.

"Oh, Eriol, you're going to make me cry _again_!" she exclaimed as she wiped her eyes roughly.

"We wouldn't want that!" said Eriol, laughing.

"I love you, too. I love you so much. I'm so lucky I met you," Tomoyo said and Eriol smiled.

"No, I think _I'm _the lucky one," Eriol said, smiling softly as Tomoyo looked up at him. Then she sprang suddenly to her feet.

"That thing you wanted to show me - can we still make it? Or is it too late?" she asked, looking anxious. Eriol checked his watch.

"I totally forgot," he said, "I think we _might _just be able to catch it, if we hurry."

"So let's hurry!" Tomoyo cried, and she grabbed his hand as he got to his feet. Then, laughing merrily like the children in the park behind them, they ran to the car.

As Tomoyo watched Eriol run with her to the car, she realised that somehow, he was making her believe that although people could be broken, maybe they could be fixed, as well.

…

A.N. Oh my God. Try writing an emotionally draining chapter like that twice. Reconstruction sucks. Anyway, I hope that now Tomoyo's 'confession' is over, there will hopefully never be a need for another chapter quite as dramatic as this.

Also, when Eriol and Tomoyo tell each other that they love each other, they just mean platonically. No need to get excited, everyone ;-)

And, just in case anyone was wondering, the friend Tomoyo refers to, the one with the golden heart, is **Naoko.**

I also hope there will never be quite as long a wait for another chapter, but there was the horrible fact that the whole thing got wiped and had to be re-written to take into consideration.

Anyway, see you next time.

Shattered Midnight Dreams…zzz…

Because life's like that sometimes…


	9. What Happens When: They Make It In Time

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The insane musings of the authoress: 'Glass Roses' chapter nine! Hopefully this one will be more cheerful than the last one! I told you I would get this one out faster, didn't I?

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Special thanks to: All the reviewers who waited so patiently for chapter eight, and thanks also to Lily, because she bugged me so hard I eventually got on with writing this chapter out of pure irritation ;-)

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Disclaimer: CCS is not mine.

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Glass Roses

Chapter Nine

What Happens When: They Make It In Time

"Keep your eyes closed…" Eriol said teasingly as he directed Tomoyo in the direction he wanted her to go, by means of his hands on her shoulders. Tomoyo's hands were covering her eyes, and she was laughing.

"Mou, Eriol-kun, this isn't fair!" she complained light-heartedly.

"You'll see in a minute, hold your horses," he said, smiling.

"Okay… Now!" he said, and Tomoyo whipped her hands from her eyes and gasped in delight.

They were on a grassy hilltop, but that wasn't the impressive part. No, the impressive part was that when you looked out, there was a whole city below them, a network of lights in the darkness, like diamonds scattered on black silk.

Then, if you looked above the city, the sun was setting, turning the sky a thousand shades of orange, purple and pink. Clouds that had been stained pink by the light floated gently like wisps of candy floss.

"Well," Eriol asked softly from his position standing behind her, "what do you think?"

Tomoyo whirled around to face him.

"It's amazing!" she exclaimed quietly, breathlessly, as if the sight would shatter if she spoke too loudly.

"It's one of my favourite places in the world when the sun sets," Eriol said, smiling.

He paused to show her the blankets and flask of hot cocoa he had brought.

"I thought we might be needing these if we were going to sit long enough to see the stars come out," he said, blushing a little. He blushed even more when Tomoyo rushed over and hugged him.

"Thank you!" she cried, "I can't believe this! Thank you so much for sharing it with me. I'm so glad we made it in time."

Eriol chuckled softly.

"We almost didn't," he pointed out gently, "but we were lucky."

Then he reluctantly untangled himself from Tomoyo's enthusiastic embrace and spread a blanket out on the ground for them to sit on. A few moments later they were seated side-by-side, each of them had a blanket wrapped around their shoulders and they were drinking their first mugs of hot chocolate.

"This," Tomoyo said as the sunset began to slowly dissolve into a night sky, "is incredible. I'm so lucky. I can't believe I'm seeing this! I can't say enough thank yous!"

Eriol had to laugh at her exclamations.

"As long as you stay my friend," he said, his voice a little gruff with embarrassment, "that's all the thanks I need."

Tomoyo had been watching the sky, spellbound, but when he said that, she turned to him and smiled.

"I'll stay with you forever," she promised.

The sky turned completely dark and the stars twinkled invitingly. An hour after the sun had finished setting and the stars had come out to play, Tomoyo had fallen asleep. Eriol figured it must have been the fact that she was warm and comfortable, and all that cocoa she drank.

He really didn't mind, even though he was propping her up as she was leaning against his side, her head on his shoulder.

His hand stroked her hair absent-mindedly as he watched the stars twinkle. Then, to his amazement, he saw a star shoot across the sky - the first shooting star he had ever seen.

He made a wish quickly - _I hope she'll be happy._

Really, he thought, there was no question that that was what he would wish.

…

__

Meanwhile, back at Matchmaker Headquarters…

"So Hiiragizawa-san is taking Tomoyo-san to watch a sunset?" Isabelle Chase asked, her hands clasped in front of her while sparkles and hearts danced in her eyes.

"Yeah. That wasn't his original intention but I managed to persuade him otherwise. Of course," said Nakuru, looking smug.

She had called Isabelle to tell her to come over after she got rid of Tomoyo and Eriol, and now they were sitting at the large wooden table in the kitchen of Hiiragizawa Manor, sipping tentatively at steaming mugs of coffee and generally letting their imaginations run away with them.

"Well, what was his original intention?" Isabelle asked as she took a daringly large sip of coffee. Her eyes began to water when she got a scalded tongue as a reward.

"He said he wanted to go to the hill where you get that really good view of the sun setting, but he needed to borrow my car to get there. So I said he could only have my car if he took Tomoyo-chan with him," Nakuru explained, looking pleased with herself.

"Nice bit of manipulation," Isabelle admitted.

"It was a _great _bit of manipulation! I got him so good he even began to think it was a fantastic idea by the time I sent him off!" Nakuru exclaimed.

"He said he couldn't believe that he hadn't thought of it himself!" she continued.

Isabelle laughed and held up in her hands in mock surrender.

"Okay, so you did a fantastic job!" she said.

"In fact," she began as she paused to check her watch, "I'll have to get going soon. They left ages ago."

Nakuru made a face.

"Do you have to?" she whined. Isabelle nodded.

"It wouldn't do if I were here when they got back and they found out we are more familiar than they realise," Isabelle got up from her chair and paused to wink, "if they don't know then it'll be easier for us to matchmake."

Even though she knew Isabelle was right, Nakuru couldn't withhold a heavy sigh as she too got up from her chair and walked with Isabelle to the door.

"Or alternatively," Isabelle began as they stood at the door, Isabelle pulling her coat on.

"Oh, an alternative. I like alternatives," Nakuru said, smiling. Isabelle smiled back.

"Okay, as I was saying, alternatively you could come back with me to my house," Isabelle suggested. Nakuru clapped her hands in delight.

"Great! I'll just write Eriol a note," she exclaimed and pulled a piece of paper and pen from a drawer. She hastily scribbled this:

'_Eriol, you were such a long time with Tomoyo-chan (guess you guys are having fun, huh? /wink/ I'm a genius for suggesting you take her, aren't I?) that I got bored, and now I've gone out. I shouldn't be too long._

Nakuru'

"There!" Nakuru smiled brightly as she left the note where Eriol would be able to see it.

"Hiiragizawa-kun is going to kill you when he reads that," Isabelle observed as her blue eyes flicked over the untidy scrawl. Beside her, Nakuru was shoving her arms into her coat sleeves.

"Oh well," she said, grinning wickedly, "it's worth it."

…

"Tomoyo-san," Eriol said as he gently shook the girl sleeping on him. She mumbled something unintelligible and burrowed her face further into his shoulder. Normally Eriol wouldn't mind, but they had to go now - it was getting steadily darker and colder, and Nakuru must be worried about them.

Or, more likely, worried about her car.

"Tomoyo-san," he attempted again, his voice a little louder and firmer. This time she muttered a sleepy but definite 'Eriol…', but still didn't wake up.

"Tomoyo-san!" he tried again, almost shouting, but she _still _refused to wake. Either she was just a naturally very deep sleeper, or she was exhausted.

"If you think I'm going to carry you to the car, you are mistaken," Eriol said, but he couldn't help smiling. Tomoyo opened one eye and sighed.

"Spoilsport. Still, it was worth a try, wasn't it?" she said, smiling. Eriol looked shocked.

"You mean you were awake all that time?" he asked, incredulous. Tomoyo's smile turned into a grin.

"Of course!" she said, as if it were obvious.

"You mean you let me yell at you like an idiot for nothing?" he asked.

"Well, it was quite funny," Tomoyo pointed out. Eriol had to admit she had a point.

They got to their feet and gathered their belongings before climbing into the car and driving away into the night.

…

"Do you want me to drive you home?" Eriol asked some time later. Tomoyo looked confused.

"Of course," she said, "where else would I go?"

"Well," Eriol said as he turned left, "you could come home with me."

Tomoyo wiggled her eyebrows in an exaggeratedly suggestive manner.

"'_Come home with you', _huh? Great pick-up line, by the way."

She grinned when Eriol blushed.

"You know I don't mean it like that," he said, "I just meant that Nakuru would be happy to see you."

Tomoyo shook her head.

"No, I have to go to bed. I'm exhausted!"

Eriol opened his mouth to say something, then seemed to think better of it, as he shut his mouth again.

"What?" Tomoyo asked. Eriol shook his head and blushed furiously. Tomoyo grinned wickedly.

"You were about to suggest I come sleep at your house, weren't you?" she asked. She began to wiggle her eyebrows again.

"Well, you know, I'm flattered, but…"

Eriol had to laugh, even as he told her to shut up.

…

Eriol pulled up outside Tomoyo's house and stopped the car. Tomoyo opened the door and got out, pausing to tell Eriol thanks.

"For _everything_," she added, and Eriol knew she was referring to her confession as well as the sunset. His face softened into a warm smile.

"It's no problem," he said truthfully, and after he watched her walk up to her door and let herself in, he drove away, ready to face the teasing he was going to get from Nakuru.

…

The first thing Eriol noticed when he got in was the fact that when he called 'I'm home!' no shrieking Nakuru bounced out and demanded to know every detail about what had happened.

"That's odd," he said to himself as he walked through into the kitchen, calling out Nakuru's name. Then he saw the note sitting on the kitchen counter. He read it and had to smile. When it came to getting Tomoyo and him together, Nakuru never gave up.

…

Tomoyo pulled off her coat and flopped down on to her couch, telling herself that after a little sit-down she would drag herself upstairs to bed, but for now, she couldn't face all those stairs.

She had been sitting with her eyes closed for no more than five minutes when her doorbell rang. She smiled to herself - she knew it was Eriol. It was funny how, when it came to him, she could get up just fine, but she pushed that thought to the back of her mind as went to answer her door.

"I thought I told you," she began, sounding jokingly annoyed but smiling as she opened the door, "that I was exhaust…"

She stopped dead when she saw who was standing on her doorstep.

"What are you doing here?"

…

A.N. Sorry, I know I'm mean! That was quite an evil cliffy to leave, I know, but I couldn't resist! And as to who the mystery caller is, it might not be who you think…

That was quite a short, uneventful chapter, but at least I managed less angst and more fluff with it.

The more reviews I get, the faster I put the next part up! (The next chapter should be up some time next week, if I get enough reviews.)

Shattered Midnight Dreams…zzz…

Because life's like that sometimes…


	10. WHW: The Mystery Caller is Revealed

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The insane musings of the authoress: This is 'Glass Roses' number ten! I hope you all enjoy it! Sorry about the cliffhanger, I hope you didn't mind waiting for this chapter!

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Special thanks to: All my lovely reviewers! Especially Lilqtazn, because I have to admit that she's my favourite reviewer, and also to Lily, because she's Lily.

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Disclaimer: I do not own CCS. I do, however, own the original characters in this fic, such as Ms Isabelle Chase.

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Glass Roses

Chapter Ten

What Happens When: The Mystery Caller is Revealed

"I asked you a question," Tomoyo said, sounding firm and in control, but her voice was shaking, "what. The. Hell. Are. You. Doing. Here?"

Her arms were stretched out to block the person from entering her house. The figure in the doorway said nothing, instead choosing to stare at the ground in a guilty manner.

"_She _sent you here to get me, did she?" Tomoyo demanded, her voice now shaking in rage as she slowly began to understand. Or, at least, she _thought _she was understanding.

"Tomoyo-chan, it's not like that!" he exclaimed, stepping forward into her doorway.

"You're not coming in here!" Tomoyo said firmly, stepping forward as well to block his way even more.

"Tomoyo-chan, just hear me out!" he pleaded.

"I thought that when I left Tomoeda, I would never have to see you, or your little sister, again. It hurts too much!" Tomoyo cried, tears forming in her eyes.

"I don't want anything to do with any of you anymore! I left that life behind, Touya-kun! I left it behind when I walked away. And you let me leave it behind when none of you stopped me," she said bitterly.

(A.N. Ha ha, surprised? You have no idea how good it feels to tell you that were all wrong! I'm glad nobody guessed who it was, though. I wanted it to be surprising.)

"We didn't know you were leaving!" Touya cried.

"And do you know how worried we've been?" he demanded of her. Tomoyo bit her lip and looked guilty.

"Your poor mother…" Touya began, but Tomoyo angrily cut him off.

"Don't you _dare _bring her into this!" she hissed angrily. Touya immediately closed his mouth. Nobody messes with an angry Daidouji, especially not this one.

"I need to talk to you," Touya tried again, the pleading tone creeping into his voice again, "please. I've looked so hard for you, and I miss you so much."

Tomoyo knew that Kinomoto Touya _never _begged _anyone _for _anything_, so he must be desperate. She chewed her lip so hard in her indecision that she could taste blood. Finally, she nodded and threw her door open.

…

Tomoyo, ever the polite hostess, had offered Touya a drink, and now they were both seated in her living-room, sipping tea nervously. Finally Touya felt he could take the silence no more.

"Why didn't you come to us? To Sakura, my father and I? We would have looked after you…" Touya said, sounding as if he just couldn't understand her actions. Tomoyo smiled sadly.

"You really don't get it, do you? It was memories that drove me from Tomoeda. My mother's memories of Nadeshiko-san and my memories of Sakura-chan. It _hurt_, Touya-kun. Even seeing you now, it hurts. Because you look like both of them - Nadeshiko-san and Sakura-chan," she set her teacup down on the coffee table.

"I took the coward's way out, I know. I'll always be the first to admit that. But, even having to live with the knowledge that I am a coward, isn't it better than living there and pretending to smile under the weight of my memories?"

"Do you want to forget?" Touya asked her. Tomoyo smiled again, but it was a soft, and in a strange way almost wondering, smile.

"No," she said quietly, so quietly that Touya could almost not hear her, "I don't. I have precious memories, too. Someday I'll be able to go back, and look at all of you, and it won't hurt anymore. And every memory of all of you that I carry, they will _all _be precious. And I'll treasure them forever. Just as I treasure all of you."

She smiled at him before taking a sip of her tea. Touya raked his hand backwards and forwards through his dark hair, as if he couldn't decide whether or not to voice aloud the next part.

"Sakura misses you," Touya said suddenly, simply, blurting the words out. Tomoyo's eyes narrowed.

"This is a sick ploy to get me back, isn't it? Bringing first my mother, then Sakura-chan up," she said, sounding suspicious. Touya shook his head, and when he spoke, his voice was weary and sad.

"Tomoyo-chan, you have become so overly wary in the little time you have been away. It's such a shame - where has my happy little cousin gone?" he asked, but then he shrugged and smiled apologetically.

"Sorry. I didn't mean that like it sounded I did," he said. Tomoyo shook her head.

"It's okay. You probably don't even know the whole story of the night I ran away, do you?" she asked, suddenly changing the subject. He said he didn't, and she proceeded to fill him in.

"So, really," she finished, "I think the things that happened that night were just a trigger. I'd been hurting for a long, long time, and my mother's actions that night just sent me over the edge."

"It makes sense," he said, "if you forget about the flower in your greenhouse and don't water it, it will wither away. Being ignored is the worst thing. I'm sorry I didn't see that you were in pain."

He was jumping so rapidly from topic to topic that Tomoyo was finding it hard to keep up, but she managed to say, "no, it's not your fault - I wouldn't let anyone see that I hurt. It was a pain I had to bear all by myself, because what right had I to burden anyone else? Eternally-videotaping, cheerful, perceptive Tomoyo-chan is there to take away other people's troubles, not add to them."

"So," she said, the look in her eyes switching from far-away and thinking to business-like, "tell me. Who sent you here? What's happening in Tomoeda?"

Touya smiled, but it was a small, rueful smile.

"You don't even call it 'home' anymore," he said.

"That's because it's not my home anymore. This place is," Tomoyo said as she took a sip of her rapidly-cooling tea.

"But that is not what we are talking about right now. Answer my questions, and I will tell you about this place," she said.

Touya took a deep breath and began.

"It was probably less than an hour after you fled that Sonomi-san came to our house. She was weeping and babbling something incoherent about 'Tomoyo leaving'. My father, Sakura and I were home at that point, and the three of us took her into our kitchen and tried to calm her down.

Eventually, she managed to say that you had run away. She told us a little about the argument you two had. We panicked. Our little Tomoyo on her own somewhere sat night, with the intention of never returning? You were angry, and in your state of mind you might come to harm. Or you could get lost, and want to come back but be unable to.

Sakura was beside herself with worry. Immediately we launched a search party. Sakura and the Gaki went together to search a particular part of Tomoeda, my father went with your mother to search another part (your mother was too worried to argue about being paired up with 'Kinomoto-sensei') and Yuki and I went to search the last part.

We visited _everyone_ - anyone who might know where you were, anyone who might actually have you in their house. Takashi-san, Mihara-san, Yanagisawa-san, Sasaki-san and Terada-sensei had all joined the search at this point, but none of them had seen you, or had any idea where you might be.

We searched for ages - some of us walking far out of town, knocking on every door and giving a description of you, in the vain hope that someone might have seen you pass by. Sonomi-san kept in contact via her cel with the servants in the Daidouji Manor to see if you had come home.

Finally, hours after we had begun our search, we all met back at Daidouji Manor. None of us had found you, or found any clues as to where you might be. We were devastated, but we didn't give up.

Starting the next day, we filed a 'missing persons' report with the police and Mihara-san, Sasaki-san, Yanagisawa-san and Takashi-san began doing out posters."

He paused to smile.

"I know it sounds like we were looking for a cat or something, but we put them up everywhere. 'Have You Seen This Girl?' With a reward for any information. You are a distinctive-looking girl, Tomoyo-chan, so we hoped that someone might have seen you. And if anyone _had _seen you, yours wasn't a face they were likely to forget.

We were all worried as you would be a prime target for kidnapping, as you're so rich. We knew it was of utmost importance that we find you soon. Every night, at least two groups of two would go out and look, searching every house on every street, stopping every person to see if they had seen you.

Weeks passed and we still hadn't found you. We began to fear the worst - sensible and intelligent as you are, Tomoyo-chan, you were vulnerable at that moment. All someone had to would be offer you a place to sleep for the night, and…"

Touya paused to draw a deep, shuddering breath.

"Well, you might never come back to us. Or, if you did, you might not be the same person you were. We never voiced those thoughts aloud, but they were in all our heads. Sakura and Sonomi-san in particular were going out of their minds with worry. Sakura devoted every spare moment of her time to trying to do something for you. She even forgot to eat, forgot to sleep, forgot to do her homework and forgot to go to school.

Father and I actually had to make her stay home from school some days and force her to go to bed. She's lost so much weight, and she barely ever stops crying. She'll be sitting looking up phone numbers in the phone book, and after every call she makes, she'll weep a little.

She'll sit for hours looking at a photograph of you and weeping. I found her, one night, cradling in her arms a costume you made for her. The fabric had soaked right through. I asked her how long she had been sitting there. She said she didn't know exactly, but it had been about five P.M. that evening when she sat down there. When I found her it was eleven P.M.

She'd been crying non-stop for six hours."

Tomoyo herself was crying silently at this point.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Touya-kun!" she cried, and hurled herself into Touya's arms. He hugged her close, not minding that she was wetting his shirt.

"I was so selfish!" she cried.

"I only thought of myself! I didn't stop to think if I would hurt anyone else… I was so sure I was the only one in pain!"

"Don't be sorry," Touya said softly as he stroked her hair, "just come back with me, and we can go back to how it was. We can forget about it."

Tomoyo looked up at him, her violet eyes wide.

"I don't know if I can," she said.

"You have to," Touya said, his voice pleading, "or we fear Sonomi-san will die."

"What?" Tomoyo demanded sharply.

"Sonomi-san is dying, Tomoyo-chan. She's dying. I _know _she is. The guilt is killing her. Every time the search party returns, she looks so hopeful. And then, when we have to tell her we haven't found you, her face crumples. I've never seen her look so distraught before. She hasn't even gone to work since you left.

I think if you don't come back, she'll be dead within a few months," Touya said, his brown eyes looking unflinchingly into Tomoyo's.

"I can't leave here," Tomoyo said, hating herself for it. But she couldn't. She lived here now. She worked here. People she loved were here…

"Why?!" Touya asked, finally getting angry.

"We're your _family_, for Christ's sake! Your mother is dying, your best friend looks worse every day, and your friends can't get on with their lives because they think you're dead!"

Touya took a few deep breaths and calmed himself down.

"I'm sorry for yelling, Tomoyo-chan," he apologised. Tomoyo shrugged.

"It doesn't matter. It's about time somebody lost their temper with me," she said.

"But I don't understand why you can't come back. We can sell this house, and you can just move back. What could possibly tie you to this town?"

At that moment, Eriol walked into the house.

"Tomoyo-san!" he said when he reached the living room.

"The door was open so I let myself…" he began, then stopped dead when he saw Touya.

And when Tomoyo looked at him, and Touya saw her expression suddenly lift, he understood immediately what tied her to this town.

'Oh dear,' Touya thought.

…

A.N. Not an overly long chapter, but I wanted to end it there. Originally, the chapter was going to go on for longer, but I realised it was going to end up like two chapters in one, which was going to take me quite a while to finish. And since I left a cliffhanger last time, I wanted to end your misery by getting this posted and clearing up the mystery.

I bet you can't believe it was Touya, huh?! : -) My sister guessed practically everyone _except _him, and all you reviewers guessed lots of possibilities, but _nobody _even _considered _Touya! Well, I'm actually very glad that nobody guessed right as I wanted it to be surprising.

See you next time!

Shattered Midnight Dreams…zzz…

Because life's like that sometimes…


	11. WHW: Matters Complicate Somewhat

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The insane musings of the authoress: I'm back with 'Glass Roses' chapter eleven! I hope you enjoy it. This chapter is especially special because it's my two-year anniversary of being a writer at on the 20th October.

I can't believe I've come so far! Thank you so much for supporting me through this fic and these last two years. Especially special thanks to Lily, who is my little sister and rocks so much, and also Jenny, my fellow Harry Potter fanatic. Oh, and Roxie-chan!

I think the last chapter got the most reviews of all the chapters so far (yay!) so I'm very grateful to everyone who reviewed.

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Disclaimer: CCS is not mine.

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Glass Roses

Chapter Eleven

What Happens When: Matters Complicate Somewhat

"And who the hell are you?" Eriol asked Touya, so politely that Tomoyo had to stifle a laugh.

Tomoyo stood up quickly and stepped between them.

"Eriol-san, this is my cousin, Kinomoto Touya. Touya-kun, this is my…" She paused for a moment. _My what? Another best friend? A confidant? Someone who listens to me and picks me up when I fall to pieces? One of the kindest people I know?_

"Eriol," she said finally.

"Now, Eriol-san," she said, now addressing the black-haired teen, "would you like some tea?"

Eriol nodded.

"Okay, so you sit down there with Touya-kun," she instructed. Then she frowned.

"Really, you don't have to glare at each other like that," she said, sounding disapproving. Immediately, they both stopped. Because Tomoyo wished it.

"When I come back," she began, "I promise we'll all talk. And you'll know absolutely everything, both of you."

And they nodded in unison, trusting her completely. Because she was Tomoyo.

The two men could hear Tomoyo bustling around in the kitchen. Neither said a word for a while, until finally Eriol spoke.

"She didn't mention you when she told me the story," he said, not looking at Touya. It sounded like an accusation, for some reason. Touya shrugged.

"So, you've some to take her back, have you?" Eriol continued, finally turning to look at the brown-eyed man beside him. Touya shook his head, but the look in his eyes said something different.

"I'd like to tell you you can't have her back," Eriol said, with a soft, impossibly sad smile, "but really, I knew it was too good to be true. I knew I'd lose her, in the end."

"You weren't there. You don't know what it was like," Touya said, staring off into the distance.

"I know you love her," Touya continued, looking searchingly at Eriol, his brown eyes flitting over the younger man's face. Eriol blushed and opened his mouth, probably to protest, but Touya gave a genuine smile and shook his head.

"No, don't try to deny it. I've seen that look in your eyes when you see her. It's the look I know I get in mine when I see the person I love the most. I love Tomoyo-chan too," Touya paused for a moment and his smile widened and he admitted, "although, it's probably not in the same way you do."

Eriol blushed more.

"So I know what I'm talking about when I say this next part," he said, suddenly returning to utmost seriousness.

"Imagine if suddenly Tomoyo-chan wasn't there anymore," he said softly, getting that far-away look in his eyes again as he spoke, "imagine if she just left, without even telling you. As if she didn't care about you. As if you didn't matter. And then imagine how you would feel if you thought you would never see her again."

"I guess," he said, the look in his eyes suddenly becoming re-focused as he grinned at Eriol, "it would be even worse for you, as I can tell she's the person you love the most, even if you don't know it yet."

Eriol gave up and let himself become a human tomato.

"And we all searched for her, because we all love her so very much. And even though there are lots of people who want her to come back to Tomoeda, I think she should stay here. With the person who loves her the most. Because Tomoyo-chan deserves to be somebody's number one," he smiled gently.

"Tomoyo-chan needs to be with the person who loves her the most, and nobody in Tomoeda can love her like that. She needs to be with you, because I think she might -"

Tomoyo returned at that moment carrying a tray laden with replacement tea for both herself and Touya, and a cup for Eriol.

"Sorry it took so long!" she said cheerfully as she sat in the armchair across from them and set the tray on the coffee table.

__

'Because I think she might feel the same way about you,' Touya completed in his head, annoyed that he hadn't been able to say it in time. Then he looked over at them, Tomoyo-chan smiling as she asked Eriol if the tea was okay. Eriol nodded enthusiastically.

__

'But perhaps it's better if they work it out for themselves,' he thought, smiling.

…

Half an hour later, Eriol was completely clued-in on what had happened in Tomoyo's hometown after her disappearance and the three were now wondering what she should do.

"I don't think I can face everyone just yet," Tomoyo said as she stared down into the depths of her tea, looking miserable.

__

'I know I don't want to ever see her sad, but is she the one I love the most?' Eriol wondered as he watched her.

__

'No,' he decided, _'Kinomoto-san was wrong about that. She's not the one I love the most, because I don't need a 'special person' right now. But I do care about her very, very much.'_

"Go back at Christmas," Eriol suggested suddenly, and the others looked surprised that he had spoken - he had been so silent and subdued until then.

"That'll give you a couple more months to recover and gain strength, then you can see them," he continued. Tomoyo's face lit up.

"That's perfect!" she cried.

"But this is only late September," Touya said, frowning, "Christmas is three months away. That may be too late for Sonomi-san."

Everyone at the table lapsed back into deep thought at that, Tomoyo looking distinctly troubled. They sat in silence for a few moments. Then, suddenly Tomoyo let out an exclamation.

"I'll call her! I'll just call her and tell her I'm okay, and that I'll see her at Christmas."

Touya nodded.

"That might work."

He checked his watch and made a face.

"It's getting late. I'll have to go. Listen, Tomoyo-chan, what do you want me to say to everyone? Should I pretend I never found you, or…"

Tomoyo thought hard for a moment, then said, "pretend you never found me. I'll call Mother very soon and tell her what I want her and everyone else to know, and she can inform everyone."

Then her expression softened.

"But tell… Tell Sakura-chan you found me, okay? Tell her I'm okay, and I'll see her at Christmas. Tell her… Tell her I miss her, and I'm sorry."

__

'Anyway,' Eriol thought to himself, _'Tomoyo-san wouldn't be a very good choice for a special person. She's clearly still in love with Sakura.'_

"I will," Touya promised as he stood up. Tomoyo got his coat for him, and after he pulled it on, he hugged her tightly.

"Can I… Can I come visit you, maybe?" he asked. Tomoyo smiled.

"Of course you can!" she said.

"And you," Touya said, releasing Tomoyo and looking over at Eriol, "you look after my little cousin, okay? If I hear you've hurt her, I'll break every bone in your body."

He paused for a moment.

"Twice," he concluded. Eriol smiled as he got up and stood beside Tomoyo.

"I will," he promised.

Touya looked back when he reached the end of the path in front of Tomoyo's house and waved. The couple in the doorway waved back at him, and he walked away, hands in his pockets.

__

'I believe you when you say you'll look after her,' he thought, _'I just hope you never hurt her unintentionally. But perhaps I'm being overly wary. After all, everybody will be okay when they're with their special person.'_

…

Tomoyo walked away from the front door of her home and back into her living room. Eriol watched as she flopped, exhausted, on to her couch.

"How about you call your mother now?" Eriol asked.

"Then you can go to bed," he finished.

Tomoyo sighed.

"I don't know if I can handle that right now," she said wearily. Eriol shrugged.

"Seems to me that you might as well do it now," he said, "probably talking to your mother will exhaust you, but you're so exhausted as it is, it won't affect you. Better to get it over and done with, anyway. And, by the sounds of things, the sooner you do this, the better it will be for your mother. You don't have time to waste."

Tomoyo nodded.

"I was being selfish again," she said, and she grabbed her phone off the coffee table.

Eriol looked distinctly uncomfortable.

"I can leave, if you -" he began, but Tomoyo cut him off with a horrified look.

"Don't you dare!" she hissed.

Eriol sat down obediently beside her as she dialled the number. When Tomoyo-san spoke like that, only the extremely foolish disobeyed her.

…

The weak, weary voice of her mother startled Tomoyo more than anything else she had heard that night. She had never heard her mother, who usually spoke in a confident, determined, don't-mess-with-me tone, sound so defeated.

"Mother?" Tomoyo said, the word somehow coming out as a question, even though Tomoyo knew exactly who it was.

"Tomoyo?!" the voice suddenly became more animated as Sonomi practically shrieked down the phone with delight.

"Yes, Mother, it's me," Tomoyo said softly, and she wondered why she could taste salt. Then she realised she was crying.

"I can't believe it… Is it really you? Am I hallucinating?" Sonomi asked, her voice that of utter wonder.

"I've been so, so worried," she said, her voice so shaky now that Tomoyo was sure she was crying now too, "so you're going to come home, right? You can come home, and see everyone, and you're not dead, oh, Tomoyo!"

Tomoyo felt terrible to crush her mother's hopes so cruelly, but it had to be done.

"No, Mother, I'm not…" Tomoyo took a deep breath to steady herself, "I'm not coming home. I… I live here now. I have my own house, and a job, and I'm fine, really. I have lots of people who are looking out for me. I'm… I'm the luckiest girl in the world. I have two families."

"You're… You're _not _coming home?" Sonomi asked speaking so slowly it was if she didn't know what the words meant.

"No. But you don't need to worry - I'll see you at Christmas. I'm coming back for a while at Christmas, I promise!" Tomoyo exclaimed, praying that that would take at least a little of the edge off.

"Tomoyo, that is enough! Where are you? Tell me where you are, young lady! I'm coming to get you! You're supposed to be home, with your mother, and I…" Sonomi dissolved into fits of tears on the other end of the phone.

Tomoyo began to weep harder too, and Eriol shifted slightly on the couch, coming right up next to her. He wrapped what he hoped was a comforting arm around her waist.

"I'm seventeen now, Mother. I'm my own person. You can't tell me what I have to do anymore. I'm not coming to Tomoeda yet, because it's not my home anymore. Now, you're not to spend another _second _thinking about me. I'm home now, Mother, and I'll see you soon," Tomoyo said, sounding more confident and forceful than she felt.

"This is the way things have to be. I'm sorry, Mother. For what I'm about to do, and for that night."

And although it broke her heart to do so, she hung up the phone.

…

Tomoyo was still a sobbing, spluttering mess twenty minutes later. Eriol was dutifully rubbing her back and letting his shirt get soaked.

"I hung up," she wailed, "on my own mother! Who's _dying_, for Christ's sake! What kind of a person does _that_?!"

"A person," Eriol replied, "who is ready to finally stand up for herself. A person who knows she's right. And your mother will not die. She'll hang on now, because she knows that you're going to come."

"And now," Eriol said decisively, "you are going to bed, as you should have done hours ago."

And he scooped Tomoyo up in his arms.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Tomoyo cried, able to see the funny side despite the fact she was miserable.

"Carrying you to bed," he replied calmly. "Now I assume your bedroom is upstairs?"

Tomoyo nodded, giggling, as Eriol managed to climb the stairs rather gracefully.

"Aren't I heavy?" she asked, sounding concerned. Eriol shook his head.

"If anything," he said, "you're worryingly light. Do you eat enough?"

Tomoyo laughed.

"You sound like my…" she paused, and her face crumpled in pain, "Mother."

"Now, now," Eriol said scoldingly, "let's not start all that again. There's no use you getting all hot and bothered before bed."

Tomoyo opened her mouth, but Eriol headed her off.

"Please do not make a tasteless joke about getting 'hot and bothered' before bed," Eriol said wearily, but the corners of his mouth were curling upwards.

"You know," he continued, "for such a protected little girl, you have rather a talent for dirty jokes."

"It's this one," Tomoyo said reluctantly as they stood outside her bedroom.

Eriol nudged the ajar door fully open with his foot and gently deposited Tomoyo on her bed.

"Now, I'm going home, okay, Tomoyo-san? You go to sleep, and I'll see you tomorrow," Eriol said, then he did something he had never done before - leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

He drew back slowly, as if he were submerged in water. Tomoyo looked at him, her purple eyes boring into his blue ones. And slowly, ever so slowly, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his.

And for a stupid, senseless moment, he let himself kiss her back.

…

A.N. Oh, that was evil! Sorry, that was quite a cruel place to leave it, I think. Things are really moving forward now - I LOVED writing the ending to that chapter, though! I love doing kiss scenes.

Anyway, I'll see you next time!

Shattered Midnight Dreams…zzz…

Because life's like that sometimes…


	12. WHW: Everything Starts To Fall Apart

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The insane musings of the authoress: I'm back with chapter eleven, and I'm happy that I get to clear up the horrible cliffhanger I left last time ((beams))

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Special thanks to: Absolutely everyone who reviewed! I was even happy when you complained about the cliffhanger ((laughs)) I can't believe that little old 'Glass Roses' has over 200!! reviews! Thank you all so much!

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Disclaimer: CCS is not mine.

__

Glass Roses

Chapter Twelve

What Happens When: Everything Starts To Fall Apart

Her hands came round his back, drawing him down to her, and he fell down on top of her. It wasn't a soft kiss, anything but - it crackled with passion and desire, want, and desperation.

And even though Eriol knew he shouldn't, he couldn't help himself. Like Adam with the forbidden fruit.

But then he pulled away from her. Because although it was almost too easy, as all he had to do was reach out for her and he could have her, he couldn't silence the little voice in his head that told him it was wrong.

"I'm sorry," she gasped immediately, "I shouldn't have…"

"That's right, you shouldn't have," he said, and although Tomoyo winced, his voice wasn't particularly harsh, "you don't really want this. You're vulnerable, and I'd be taking advantage. Your head's all messed up, what with all the stress of today."

She was lying on the bed, inky-black hair splayed everywhere, her face flushed and eyes bright. Her lips were pink and swollen, and he wanted nothing more than to kiss her again, and lie down beside her, never to leave her side again.

He wanted it so badly it scared him.

She licked her lips unconsciously, and Eriol couldn't help but feel that she was licking him up, trying to savour the taste of him. He stopped himself from leaning forward just in time.

"I mustn't…" he muttered. Tomoyo blinked. Eriol shook his head vigorously.

"Forget it. Go to sleep, okay? In the morning you'll laugh at how stupid an idea it was. Subconsciously, you were just seeking comfort. Don't worry; just forget about it, because I have. I'll see you tomorrow," he said quickly, and he left her room, closing the door behind him.

Halfway down the stairs, he left himself pause and think about what deep shit he was in.

…

__

'How come everything I do is the wrong thing?' Tomoyo wondered as she clutched her teddy bear to her chest.

__

'Perhaps I should just go back to Tomoeda. Perhaps things would be better that way.'

…

Much to his surprise, Nakuru was home when he got in. She got up from her seat at the kitchen table when she saw him.

"Gosh," she said, smiling, "you were a long time!"

Eriol walked straight past her towards the stairs. Nakuru frowned.

"Hey, are you okay? Did something happen? Is Tomoyo-chan okay?" she asked, sounding anxious.

"It's all Kinomoto Touya's fault!" he exclaimed dramatically as he continued his ascent of the stairs, not even looking back at Nakuru, "He put ideas in my head!"

Nakuru was well and truly confused.

…

After hours of lying awake, Tomoyo drifted into a light, uneasy sleep. Her teddy bear was soaked.

…

"What happened tonight to make you so weird?!" Nakuru hollered at Eriol through the bathroom door.

"Nothing!" Eriol barked. "And I am not 'weird'!"

"And, just as an afterthought," Nakuru continued, "who the _hell _is Kinomoto Touya?" (A.N. I actually made myself laugh writing that, as I found the idea of Nakuru not knowing who Touya is deliciously absurd : -) )

"Nobody!" Eriol yelled sharply.

"Nothing and nobody," Nakuru muttered to herself, "well, I can see that _this_ isn't going to get me anywhere…"

Nakuru grinned wickedly.

"You kissed her, didn't you? You just couldn't resist, you naughty boy…" she teased, expecting him to yell at her to stop being silly. Instead she was met by silence, and then a tentative 'not… Not _quite_…'

…

Ten minutes later, Eriol was spilling his problems to an uncharacteristically serious Nakuru over coffee at the kitchen table. He hadn't bothered to tell her about Tomoyo's past, instead choosing to invent an evening with Tomoyo.

He'd managed to invent a scenario that would leave Tomoyo appropriately confused, exhausted and needing comfort. And Nakuru seemed to have forgotten about the mysterious Kinomoto Touya, much to his relief.

"And how _do _you feel about her?" Nakuru asked as she sipped at her steaming coffee.

"That's the thing - I used to be so sure about what I felt for her, but now… Now, I don't know!" he wailed. His coffee lay untouched in front of him.

"Wow," Nakuru muttered to herself, "this is almost better than Isabelle and I could have hoped for…"

"Sorry?" Eriol asked, he had been so absorbed in his contemplation of the problem that he hadn't heard her.

"Nothing," she said, imitating Eriol earlier without meaning to.

"I say you just pretend it didn't happen until you're certain of how you feel about it. That way, you don't lose her, but you still confront the problem," she suggested.

"I guess I have no other choice," he said glumly as he stared into his coffee.

"When you stopped the kiss earlier, did you…?" Nakuru asked softly, her voice trailing away. Eriol chuckled bitterly.

"Want to kiss her again? Yeah, I did," he said.

"Please don't tell me I love her," he pleaded.

"Okay," Nakuru said as she smiled and sipped her coffee, "I won't."

…

Touya stepped into the Kinomoto home and immediately went to Sakura's room. Just as he had thought he would, he found his little sister sitting at her desk, sound asleep; her face stuck to a page of the telephone directory. Their were circles around places Tomoyo might have gone to or phoned up. She was making her way through them, dutifully calling each one and trying not to sound disappointed when they couldn't help her.

"Hey," he said softly as he shook her sleeping form gently, "wake up."

"Onii-chan…" she muttered sleepily, as she looked up at him and smiled. Then she sat bolt upright.

"Did you find her?" she demanded sharply, all trace of sleepiness gone. Touya felt he could cry with happiness when he found he could tell his miserable little sister the word he had been praying he would be able to tell her.

"Yes," he said simply, smiling. Sakura burst into tears.

"Oh my God, Onii-chan! I can't believe it! You found her! You found Tomoyo-chan!" she leapt up and threw herself at him in a rib-crushing hug.

"Did she tell you why she left?" she asked, unable to stop weeping, even though she was smiling and laughing too.

"Well…" Touya said, squirming in discomfort at the awkwardness of the question, "Tomoyo-chan was very stressed, and she had to get away for a while."

A look of total and utter comprehension dawned on Sakura's face.

"Oh, I see. So she's staying in a hotel or something for a while, right? Just to take a break. It was rather silly of her not to tell us she was going, but I suppose she was worried that Sonomi-san would try to stop her or something. That's okay. As long as we know she's okay. And she'll come home soon," Sakura babbled.

A part of Touya wanted nothing more than to let her continue thinking that, but he felt he had to tell her the truth.

"Sakura," he said, "Tomoyo-chan… She's not… Coming back here. Not to live, anyway. She lives in another town now, and she has this adorable little house, and a job, and…"

Sakura gave a sad little smile.

"And there's a person there, right?" she asked, but she sounded so sure that Touya wasn't even certain that it was a question.

"I think he might be the person just for Tomoyo-chan," Touya said carefully. Sakura was studying the pages of the phone book without seeing any of the words.

She turned to Touya as she spoke next.

"I'm glad," she said softly, "I hope he can make her happy, in the way I couldn't. If he makes her happy, she should stay with him. Everyone should be with their special person."

She spoke simply in the way only she could. Everything she said was 'just so'. Her words never got bogged down with complications like some peoples' did. She could always communicate exactly what she meant - she was just like a child that way. And every word that came out of her mouth had a spin on it, so that it was touching and gentle.

She could never be harsh or blunt. And she could never see why things couldn't be the way they so obviously should.

"If only," he said as he ruffled her hair fondly, sadness in his eyes, "it were that easy."

…

By the next day, everyone who had been involved in the search knew what Sonomi knew. Everyone was already eagerly anticipating Tomoyo's Christmas return.

…

Eriol decided that morning to go to Tomoyo's house to check on her. He couldn't define it, but he had a strange feeling, just a niggling thought in the back of his mind, that he really _had _to go check on Tomoyo.

So he left the house after saying goodbye to Nakuru (he didn't bother telling her where he was going as he really didn't have the energy to explain himself).

He walked briskly to Tomoyo's house, the birds sang merrily in the early morning sunshine as he went. When he reached Tomoyo's house, he was very glad of that niggling feeling that wouldn't leave him alone, as it seemed he hadn't come a moment too soon.

Tomoyo was standing on her doorstep with two suitcases. Eriol broke into a run, pausing only to vault neatly over the little gate at the end of her path.

"Hey!" he yelled as he got nearer. "What the hell are you doing?!"

For a second Tomoyo looked surprised, but then she set her mouth into a firm line.

"I'm going back to Tomoeda."

…

A.N. Goodness, I really must stop with all the short chapters and cliffhangers! Hopefully the next chapter will be longer and won't contain a cliffhanger. I just couldn't resist, though, and I absolutely _adore _the last line - I think it's quite dramatic, but that's just my opinion : -)

I'm actually quite pleased with how 'Glass Roses' is turning out. I think it's a little deeper than what I thought I would originally end up with. I'm actually having fun with putting more of a plot into it (i.e. the whole Tomoyo-running-away thing) whereas 'Butterflies' is just me having a ball and being fantastically silly : -)

Anyway, I'll see you all next chapter!

Shattered Midnight Dreams…zzz…

Because life's like that sometimes…


	13. WHW: Eriol Gives Tomoyo A Shock

The insane musings of the authoress: 'Glass Roses' chapter thirteen - I'm so glad I can clear up the cliffhanger of the last chapter. It was my birthday on Friday November 12th, so I am now officially fourteen! Yay!

Special thanks to: Dearest Lily, as always. Also, to each and every reviewer, but especially Lilqtazn35. Oh, and thanks to everyone who wished me a happy birthday.

Disclaimer: CCS is not mine.

Glass Roses

Chapter Thirteen

What Happens When: Eriol Gives Tomoyo A Shock

"What?!" Eriol demanded. "You can't leave! I need you here!"

"Well, I have to leave. I can't deal with this anymore!" Tomoyo bit back.

"Don't leave! Marry me instead!" Eriol burst out.

There was silence for a second. Tomoyo blinked at him in utter shock.

"_What _did you just say?!" she asked, sounding furious and bewildered all at once.

"I just asked you to marry me," he explained calmly.

"Are you _crazy_? No way!" Tomoyo yelled.

"I've only known you for a few months! There's lots of things you don't know about me - I doubt you know my favourite book, or my favourite film!" she continued, unable to believe what she had just heard.

"Tell me!" Eriol said.

"Tell me everything about you! I want to know it all!"

"You're crazy! Come on, Eriol-san, you're a sensible guy. This is just being silly - imagine asking a girl to marry you just to stop her from leaving!" Tomoyo said, trying to make a joke out of it.

"It's not just to stop you from leaving!" Eriol exclaimed.

"Then why, Eriol-san? Why?" Tomoyo asked as the stress caught up with her and her eyes filled with tears.

"I don't know why! I just know that… That… It seems right," he said quietly, thoughtfully.

"You're just being silly! You're just inventing things to stop me from leaving and you're also just trying to talk yourself into marrying me!" Tomoyo exclaimed.

"It's not like that!" Eriol objected.

"I don't _need _to talk myself into it! I know, at least, that I want to do _this_ all the time…" he said, and in a few strides he was on the step with her.

And he was reaching out for her, and, like the fool she was, she went willingly into his arms. She rose up onto her tiptoes and she melted when his lips met hers. Her arms went around his neck and her fingers curled into his hair as she felt the first tentative flutter of his tongue against hers.

Then, all so suddenly, his tongue turned from tentative to exploring and his kiss turned passionate and hungry as she sighed into his mouth. His hands went to her waist and he clutched her tightly to him. She didn't know what anything was anymore, everything was blurred and fell into insignificance. All her senses were filled with him and she felt dizzy. It was hard work just to keep standing.

They broke apart and Eriol leaned forward to whisper into her ear, "I want to wake up beside you every morning. I want to have you and protect you and care about you every day for the rest of our lives. I never want to be apart from you."

Tomoyo's traitorous heart fluttered at his words.

"No," she whispered, "I'm sorry. I can't. It's crazy, and in a few days you'll realise that too and you'll be glad I said no."

She heard a sharp intake of breath from him.

"Okay," he answered, "I understand. But please, please don't leave. I'll leave you alone for a while, if that's what you want."

Tomoyo nodded.

"Maybe that would be best. It might be good for you to go away and think about what you just did. I'll be happy to say 'I told you so!' when you realise what a stupid idea it was in a week or so!" she joked. Eriol managed a smile.

Then he turned and walked away.

For some reason, Tomoyo began to cry.

…

"I just did something _really _stupid!" Eriol called as he stepped back inside his house. Nakuru was awake at this point, but not yet dressed. She was slumped on the couch in her pajamas, watching a talk show with Suppi the cat and eating chocolate-chip cookies. Ordinarily Eriol would have berated her about her unhealthy breakfast choice, but he didn't have time for things like that now.

Immediately Nakuru was wary.

"What did you do?" she asked as she switched the television off. Eriol sat down beside her on the couch.

"I… I… Oh God, I can't believe I did it!" he exclaimed. Now Nakuru was _extremely _worried.

"Out with it, Eriol! The suspense is killing me!" she cried.

"IproposedtoTomoyo-san," he babbled in a rush, his voice muffled as his head was buried in his hands.

"I beg your pardon? I heard something about Tomoyo-chan, but you were mumbling…" Nakuru said, trying to keep calm even though she was going crazy with curiosity.

"I proposed to Tomoyo-san!" Eriol burst out. Nakuru's mouth fell open.

"Okay, you _what_?! This is even better than the talk show!" Nakuru exclaimed.

"Explain _exactly _what happened!" she demanded. Eriol sighed.

"Well, while you were still asleep I went to Tomoyo-san's house because I had a weird feeling that something was wrong. I was right - when I got there, Tomoyo-san had packed some bags and was preparing to leave," Eriol began. Nakuru gasped.

"No! You're _kidding_! Tomoyo-chan can't _leave_! She belongs _here_! I can't stop _yelling_!" Nakuru exclaimed, then laughed.

"So I said - 'Don't leave! Marry me instead!' Totally on the spur of the moment. I didn't plan to do it or anything," he finished.

Nakuru sighed dreamily.

"That's actually quite romantic, sort of like yelling a proposal to someone as they go away on a train…Except usually when you propose to someone, they're already your girlfriend and have been so for at least a few months," Nakuru reasoned.

She then returned her attention to Eriol. She was desperate to know what had happened next.

"So, what did she _say_??" Nakuru asked, sounding thoroughly over-excited. Eriol sighed heavily and raked a hand through his black hair.

"She asked me if I was crazy," he said, a faint smile curving his lips because it was actually sort of funny, "and said 'no way!'"

Nakuru managed to laugh and look disappointed at the same time.

"Well, what were you expecting? You had only known her a few months, you weren't her girlfriend first, you did it just to stop her from leaving and you didn't have an engagement ring!" Nakuru said, still laughing. Eriol had to admit that she had a point.

"Wait," Eriol said wearily, "there's more. Then she asked me why I did it - proposed, I mean - and I said I didn't know, but it felt right, for some reason. I said it wasn't just to stop her from leaving. And I… I…"

Nakuru looked like she might fall off her seat, she was so tense and eager for the next part.

"You what? You _what_?! Tell me!" she urged him.

"I kissed her," he said with a shrug. Nakuru's mouth formed an 'o' of surprise. Her eyes were as round as saucers. Eriol didn't realise up until then how much Nakuru loved a good romantic story.

"And what did she do about that?" Nakuru asked. Eriol blushed.

"She kissed me back, actually," he said as he rubbed the back of his neck, feeling embarrassed.

"And was it good?" Nakuru asked wickedly. Eriol's blush deepened, and Nakuru took that as a 'yes.'

"Then, when we stopped, I told her…" Eriol buried his head in his hands again.

"I told her… Oh God, it was so stupid of me to say… I told her I wanted to wake up beside her every morning, and I wanted to take care of her for the rest of our lives, and I never wanted to be apart from her, or something like that."

Nakuru choked in excitement, then, when she had regained her composure, she said in a remarkably calm manner,

"Did you tell her you love her?" she asked. Eriol raised his head from his hands, looking confused.

"No, because I don't," he said, sounding quite certain. Nakuru raised an eyebrow, looking skeptical.

"Oh, Eriol, it's so _obvious _that you do! All those things you said - that's how you feel when you're in love with someone!" she said, seemingly incredulous that he hadn't realised.

Eriol shook his head.

"No, I think you're wrong, Nakuru. I don't love Tomoyo-san - I think I just said all those things to try to stop her from leaving."

Nakuru sighed.

"Okay, Eriol - how about we try this? You answer the following questions _completely _honestly. You have five seconds to answer each one. At then end I'll tell you what you should do about all this," she suggested. Eriol nodded, willing to try anything to try to put everything right.

"Okay, number one - do you still want to marry Tomoyo-chan?" she asked.

"Yes," Eriol answered.

"Number two - do you like kissing her?"

Eriol blushed.

"Of course I do."

"Number three - do you love her?"

"Yes," Eriol answered, and then he clapped his hands to his mouth, looking horrified.

"No! I don't!" he tried to amend. Nakuru shook her head.

"That game never lies," she said.

"However unfortunate it may be, you're in love with Tomoyo-chan," she continued.

"Okay, maybe I have a little lust for Tomoyo-san. I mean, she's very beautiful…" Eriol attempted, but Nakuru shook her head.

"If you only lust someone, you want only their body. And maybe only for a night. You want all of Tomoyo-chan forever," Nakuru said simply.

"Oh God," Eriol muttered as he raked his hand backwards and forwards through his hair in agitation, "I do, don't I? I fell in love with her without even realising."

Nakuru nodded as she thoughtfully bit a tiny piece off the cookie in her hand. She seemed to be quite enjoying her 'wise woman' role.

"So, the question is, what do I do?" Eriol asked Nakuru. Nakuru rolled her eyes.

"Go tell her you love her, stupid!" she said, as if it were obvious.

"I _can't!_" he exclaimed. "She told me to leave her alone for a while, to think about what I did."

His lips twitched a little and Nakuru began to laugh.

"It's like you're a naughty little pre-schooler!" she exclaimed.

"Anyway," she said when she was feeling a little less giggly," here's what I think we should do…"

…

Tomoyo sighed as she looked around her living room. She was terribly lonely without Eriol and Nakuru. She still saw Ms Chase at work and everything, but it wasn't the same without the other two. Ms Chase had asked if there were any problems she'd like to discuss (A.N. Of course, Nakuru has told Ms Chase all about Eriol's proposal

: -)), but Tomoyo always said that there was nothing.

It had been just over a week since she and Eriol had had the bizarre encounter on her doorstep, and Tomoyo was beginning to wonder if she had been too hard on him. He had just panicked, not been thinking straight.

She sighed as the doorbell rang. Perhaps it was the pizza delivery boy. She went to answer it, and got the shock of her life when she saw who was standing at the door.

"Eriol-san?" she said in a sort of questioning tone, even though there was no doubting it was he. He nodded. Tomoyo noticed that he was holding something behind his back. He caught her looking and brought the thing out with a flourish.

It was a beautiful bouquet of vivid purple violets, the scent of which immediately assaulted Tomoyo the moment Eriol placed them in her arms. She gave a smile and a soft murmur of approval.

"They're gorgeous…" she whispered as she closed her eyes and sniffed them delicately. Eriol's heart stopped. It wasn't fair that she looked so beautiful with her eyes closed, her long black hair cascading down her back in ringlets… He swallowed.

"I went away and thought about it…" Eriol began, and Tomoyo smiled.

"And I'm sure your conclusion was that it was a frankly silly idea and you didn't mean it. No problem," she said, smiling confidently, certain that she was right. Slowly, nervously, he shook his head.

"Iie, Tomoyo-san. That _wasn't _my conclusion. _This_," he said as he fumbled in his pocket for something, "was my conclusion."

Tomoyo gasped as Eriol got down on one knee and opened a little black box to reveal a shining, antique engagement ring.

…

A.n. Boy, do I ever feel mean doing that! ((Laughs)) When was the last time a chapter of 'Glass Roses' _didn't _end in a cliffhanger?! I'm sorry I'm being so mean with chapter endings lately - I'll try to update 'Glass Roses' more regularly so the cliffhangers don't matter so much.

I'm hopeful that the story will end around chapter twenty. Originally I had envisioned the fic ending around chapter thirty, but then I made a major plot change and, well, here we are!

I'm really excited because it feels like I'm actually nearing the _end _of something (even though I've actually still got a sizeable chunk to get through, providing my calculations are correct).

It's just, I've been writing 'Butterflies' and 'Glass Roses' for over ten months now, and I _think _that's the longest I've ever been constantly working on a fic. I know for certain that 'Butterflies' will take me at least another six months (probably more. I can actually see it taking two years in total to finish. Jeez, two years, that seems like a really long time! I'm hoping to finish it before Christmas 2005, though)

So, the idea of actually having the end in sight with a fic at the moment is really exciting! I pretty much know how I'm going to take 'Glass Roses' from here to the end, and I'm hoping to finish it before March 9th 2005 (so that the final chapter can be part of my little sister Lily's birthday present).

Anyway, I've rambled for long enough (if you managed to read all the way to down here, then give yourself a pat on the back. I admire you) so I guess I'll see you next time!

Shattered Midnight Dreams…zzz…

Because life's like that sometimes…


	14. WHW: It Rains and Touya Saves The Day

_The insane musings of the authoress: _Chapter fourteen of 'Glass Roses'! Sorry about the cliffhanger of the last chapter, but at least I updated this chapter quite swiftly!

_Special thanks to: _Everybody who reviewed! Your kind words help me to type the next instalments. Sometimes I find 'Glass Roses' hard going, you see : -) Oh, and this fic now has over 250 reviews, which is just amazing and so much more than I expected : -)

Extra special thanks to Lily, Jenny and Lilqtazn. Also, this chapter is for Adele. Sweetie, I'm so sorry that Charlie's in Germany! Oh, at least he'll be back in a few weeks.

_Disclaimer: _CCS is not mine.

_Glass Roses_

_Chapter Fourteen_

_What Happens When: It Rains, and Touya Saves The Day_

"What the hell are you doing!" Tomoyo demanded, sounding horrified as Eriol took one of her hands in his. He sweatdropped.

"Yeah," he said, "I probably look kind of dumb doing this, and I sure as hell _feel _stupid, but I wanted to do this properly."

"Eriol…" Tomoyo said softly, suddenly filled with an indescribable emotion as she looked at him.

_'Plus,' _he thought, _'Nakuru insisted.'_

He took a deep breath.

"Tomoyo-san, I think that, from the moment I met you, I loved you. No, in fact, I _know _I loved you."

"Eriol-san…" Tomoyo interrupted gently again, but he ploughed on.

"From the moment I met you, got to know you, I have loved you. Just as I love Nakuru and Spinel."

Tomoyo was immediately confused.

_'If he only loves me like he loves them, then why is he proposing!'_

"I clung to the belief that that was how I loved you. I tried to tell myself that I loved you as a friend and nothing more; tried to convince myself that my feelings towards you would never change. I guess I started to question that belief when Kinomoto-san told me he thought I was in love with you," Eriol continued. Tomoyo blushed.

"Touya-kun told you that!" she squawked. Eriol nodded.

"But I insisted that wasn't true. I told him, and myself, over and over, that that wasn't the case. That I liked you as a friend and nothing more. Sure, I was starting to like you more and more, but that was just because I was starting to get to know you more and becoming better friends with you. And, okay, so maybe I had a few feelings towards you that were… Um… Not entirely appropriate for completely platonic friends -" at that, the two of them blushed - "but I told myself that I just…-" he gulped and couldn't force himself to look at her in the eyes when he said the next part - "lustedafteryoualittle."

He took another deep breath and willed his face to calm down. Tomoyo looked as embarrassed as he did.

"Eriol-san, I'm flattered…" she began to say. Eriol interrupted her with a furious shake of his head. He had the most horrible feeling that her next word was going to be 'but', and, judging by the expression on her face, he was most likely right.

"Just hear me out, Tomoyo-san," he pleaded. "Like I said, I was convinced I just lusted after you a little. I convinced myself that I'd get over it. But then you kissed me that night, and I wasn't sure what I thought any more. I talked to Nakuru about it and she helped me see that really, I'm in love with you."

He smiled suddenly.

"Isn't fate cruel? I fall in love with someone who doesn't want me that way."

"Eriol…" Tomoyo began again, and this time he let her speak. "Eriol-san, I can't even understand why you want _me_. I mean, you could do so much better. You could have a girl who… Who…"

He knew what she was going to say, even though she seemed lost for words. _You could have a girl who hasn't been through what I've been through. You could have a girl who isn't so timid and guarded. You could have a girl who doesn't have any scars._

"Tomoyo-san, whoever that girl is, I don't want her. I want _you_. I've never loved someone like I love you. I know… I know that people hurt you, and I know you have the scars to prove it. But I want to help you, Tomoyo-san. I want to look after you and restore your faith in people. I want to watch over you and have you always by my side. I want to love you, Tomoyo-san, if you'll only let me. I want to marry you."

Tomoyo closed her eyes in a vain attempt to stop her tears from falling down her face. When she opened her eyes, her vision was blurry.

"I want," she began, but she had to take a deep breath and start again. Eriol didn't rush her.

"I want to be able to tell you that you're being crazy and you don't really love me," she said, her voice shaking. Then she smiled - it was a small, sad sort of a smile.

"But after having heard what you just said, how can I say that? How can I deny feelings that are so obviously true? I wouldn't be being fair to you if I pretended your feelings didn't exist simply to make myself feel less guilty."

She paused to collect herself. During the pause, she felt her hand get wet. When had it started to rain?

"But I can't… I can't marry you, Eriol-san. How can I marry you when I can't even love you? I can't love anyone yet - I haven't healed. You spoke of me having scars - they're not scars, they're _wounds _- still raw and fresh and bleeding."

It was then that she realised it wasn't raining - Eriol was crying. And she couldn't stop weeping. For him and for herself.

"I understand," he said as he got up off his knee and even managed a small smile.

"No," Tomoyo said quietly, "you don't."

Eriol shook his head.

"Oh no, Tomoyo-san, never mistake the fact that I _do _understand. I don't like it, but I understand."

Nobody said anything for a moment. Then Eriol spoke.

"I think," he said, with a small, knowing smile, "that I always knew you couldn't love me."

"Did that make my reaction hurt less?" Tomoyo asked quietly, her purple eyes sorrowful.

The look on Eriol's face and the pain so obvious in his deep blue eyes was all the answer Tomoyo needed.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. He gave no indication that he even heard her as he walked away.

She stood out from her doorstep for a while, staying long after he left. Then, with exquisite timing, it began to rain. She stood out in the open and let herself get soaked. Wasn't rain supposed to be cleansing and soothing? It seemed to be biting Tomoyo as it froze her to her very core.

"Is this my punishment!" she yelled into the night.

There was no answer, but she stood in the rain. Even as she wept bitterly, she stayed out. Because if this was her punishment, then she would take it. She would take it, because she deserved it.

…

"Nakuru, have you got our plane tickets?" Eriol asked his cousin as he finished packing the last of their things into the suitcases. Her chocolate-coloured eyes were sad as she showed them to him.

"Eriol, are you sure you shouldn't tell Tomoyo-chan about this?" Nakuru asked tentatively, quite certain that she was about to be snapped at. Every time Nakuru had mentioned the raven-haired girl in the last week, Eriol had exploded at her. This time, however, Eriol just closed his eyes and drew a deep breath.

To stop himself from exploding at Nakuru.

"I don't think that will be necessary, Nakuru," he said. Nakuru looked troubled.

"Okay," she answered. "I'm just going for a walk. I won't be long."

Eriol was too preoccupied to be suspicious.

"Okay," he answered, "but make sure you stick to your word and don't forget the time."

Nakuru assured him that she wouldn't, and slipped out of the house. She walked part of the way down the street before running all the way to Tomoyo's house.

…

Tomoyo was utterly shocked to see Nakuru on her doorstep.

"Nakuru-san!" she gasped. "Whatever's wrong?"

The two women looked at each other for a moment, Nakuru panting desperately. Then, in unison, they said, "everything."

…

"Tomoyo-chan, I'm sorry, but I don't have time for tea," Nakuru said. "Eriol and I are leaving on a plane for Osaka in an hour's time."

Nakuru watched as Tomoyo absorbed this information. Her pretty face turned green, then white.

"N-no," she whispered, shaking her head. Nakuru looked grim.

"I'm afraid so," she said.

"I did this, didn't I?" Tomoyo asked slowly, sounding horrified, tears filling her eyes.

"Well, we're actually going to visit our grandmother, but I have to admit that he only got the idea when… Well, you know…" Nakuru trailed off.

Yes, Tomoyo did know. When she broke his heart.

"Listen," Nakuru said as she shoved a hand through her long red hair, "I'm not here to tell you to love him. I'm just here to tell you that we're leaving, that's all. I thought that you might like to know."

"Of _course _I would have wanted to know!" Tomoyo exclaimed. "You two are two of my best friends!"

Nakuru nodded.

"I'll miss you, Tomoyo," the older woman said, tears beginning to cloud her vision no matter how hard she tried to resist.

"I'll miss you too! Call me when you get to Osaka, okay?" Tomoyo ordered as she threw her arms around her friend.

"I will!" Nakuru promised. Then she turned to leave.

"And Tomoyo?" she said. "I'm sorry."

Nakuru didn't clarify exactly what she was sorry for, but Tomoyo knew.

"You couldn't possibly be as sorry as me," Tomoyo answered as, through her tears, she watched another person walk away from her.

_I'm sorry I couldn't love him._

…

Tomoyo sank to the floor in her hall and looked at the floorboards in disbelief. It had only _really _begun to sink in that they were leaving.

…

Touya pulled up in his car outside Tomoyo's house. His 'sixth sense' had been bothering him - he'd got a sudden feeling that he had to go see Tomoyo. He'd tried to ignore it, but it refused to be ignored and kept niggling at him. Eventually, he had given up and gone to visit his Tomoyo-chan out of annoyance.

…

At that moment, with the most impeccable timing, Tomoyo saw Touya walk towards her house. He began to run when he saw Tomoyo sitting on the floor through her open front door.

"Tomoyo-chan!" he exclaimed when he reached her, sounding frantic as he sat down beside her. "What's _wrong_!"

Tomoyo opened her mouth, but for a second, no sound came out. Then she wailed, "he's _leaving_, Touya-kun!" and dissolved into tears.

…

Touya didn't even need to ask who '_he_' was. He simply tried his best to comfort his distraught cousin, rubbing her back as she sobbed and babbled incoherently.

"I swear I'll _kill _that little bastard! I promised I would murder him slowly if he hurt you," Touya muttered. Tomoyo immediately turned a tear-streaked face to him, then shook her head.

"No!" she objected. "It was all my fault! It was me who made him leave, because I rejected him!"

She proceeded to fill Touya in with all the things that had happened since his last visit. Touya whistled.

"That's quite a fine mess we've got here, Tomoyo-chan," he said. Tomoyo looked thoroughly miserable as she said softly that she knew.

"Well," Touya said, immediately taking the sensible approach, "first we have to determine how you really do feel about him. I'm not saying you should marry him, or even tell him you love him, if you know you don't feel that way about him. I'm just saying that maybe you should slow down and take a proper look at your feelings before you make any rash decisions."

Tomoyo nodded - that all sounded sensible, but of course, this _was _Touya.

"Now," Touya said, "picture him leaving. Imagine never seeing him again, or, at least, not seeing him again for a long time. How does that make you feel?"

Obediently, Tomoyo closed her eyes. She saw it all happen in front of her, like she was watching a movie. Eriol going off on a plane, his eyes sad, with Nakuru-chan. Nakuru-chan wishing that it could have worked out between her cousin and her friend.

She saw herself missing him, saw herself going to his house before realising that he wasn't there, then walking down the path and away from his home, fighting tears. Her eyes snapped open.

"He can't leave!" she said, clutching Touya's sleeve. Touya nodded.

"I expected a reaction like that. You feel sad, don't you? And lonely. Maybe even guilty that you let him go."

Tomoyo nodded.

"Well," Touya said with a sigh, "that doesn't surprise me, as it confirms that, as a friend, you care about him a great deal. But we both knew that." He took a deep breath.

"This, however, is the real test."

Touya looked uncomfortable.

"Okay," he said, sounding uncertain, "close your eyes."

She did so.

"Okay," Touya said again, sounding distinctly like he'd rather do anything else than what he was about to, "this is kind of twisted, but… Well, I'll explain at the end. I don't want to lessen the impact of all this."

Tomoyo nodded, her eyes still closed. Touya leaned forward to whisper in her ear.

"So, now picture this," he swallowed, "you're together in his… Room. You're lying on his… Oh, God… Bed."

Both Tomoyo and Touya were rapidly turning red.

"He's… Kissing you. You can feel his… Ugh… Tongue on yours. This was a bad idea, as now _I'm _picturing it, and it's disturbing… Anyway, he's kissing your neck now. Making little circles on your skin with his tongue…"

Tomoyo had to fight a moan.

"He whispers in your ear that he loves you," Touya stopped talking, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I can't go any further! This was disturbing enough already - picturing a girl who might as well be my sister being seduced…" Touya shuddered, "it's like picturing Sakura with the gaki!"

Tomoyo's eyes, which had snapped open when he stopped talking, looked troubled.

"Tomoyo-chan," he said softly, "can you see yourself walking up the aisle with him? Waking up beside him every morning? Maybe even having a baby together?"

Her eyes fell closed and, again, she could see herself. She was dressed in a beautiful white wedding dress, walking up the aisle towards a handsome, tuxedo-clad Eriol who was smiling at her… She was waking up in a bright, airy bedroom. Eriol was framed by a large window, which he was looking out of. When he heard her stir, he turned to her and said, with this big smile, "isn't it a beautiful day?"… She was heavily pregnant, shopping for baby clothes with a smiling Eriol. A woman walking by commented on how beautiful Tomoyo is looking, with a beautiful, pregnancy glow radiating from her. Tomoyo blushes and tries to tell that the woman that she is not beautiful, but Eriol simply beams and says, "yes, isn't she beautiful? Aren't I lucky?"

Tomoyo's eyes opened again.

"It hurts…" she whispered. Touya nodded.

"It hurts to see all those things and think that I might never have them," she whispered.

This time, Touya shook his head.

"No, Tomoyo-chan, I don't doubt that you will, someday, have them. Guys will be queuing up to marry you, and you will have plenty of time to marry one of them - you're only seventeen, after all. The question is, would you be happy with this other man? Would you be happy to let him… Touch you? Marry you? Sleep beside you? Share each and every day with you? Could you ever love him?"

He paused for a second to look searchingly into her violet eyes.

"Or does it have to be Hiiragizawa-san?"

Tomoyo sat bolt upright, as if something had just smacked her upside the head. Then, she burst into tears. That was all the answer Touya needed.

"I love him! How could I have been so _stupid_ not to see? I know I was afraid to let him in, but I could never kiss anyone else, marry anyone else… I want to wake up beside him and I want to be the one he smiles at. I want to be the one he comes home to at night and the one who he tells about his day. I want him to always be by my side. I want to love him, and be loved by him.

But I've missed my chance! It's too late!" she cried.

Touya smiled and shook his head.

"No, my dear, it's never too late. It's not over until the fat lady sings. Now we get to do something I've always wanted to do!"

"What's that?" Tomoyo asked, finally smiling as she wiped her eyes.

"A big dramatic rush to the airport!"

…

The two of them ran out of the house and into Touya's car. Touya fumbled with the car keys, and when he finally managed to get them into the ignition, he then managed to turn on the windscreen wipers and radio before, eventually, he succeeded in getting them moving.

Touya looked sheepish.

"Sorry about that," he said, but Tomoyo just smiled.

"I guess it's true what they say - more haste, less speed."

Tomoyo's attention was suddenly drawn to the DJ talking on the radio. He was announcing that they would be having a competition 'after this next song, which is for my best friend who just eloped with his girlfriend'.

Of course, with exquisitely bad timing, '_Come Away With Me' _began to play. Tomoyo began to sing the words under her breath, but her voice was becoming shakier as her vision began to blur.

_'I will NOT cry,' _she thought stubbornly, _'God knows I've cried enough lately - I'm tired of it. I will not cry. I will not cry. I will not cry…'_

A tear rolled down her cheek and off her chin.

_Oh well…_

…

"Tomoyo-chan, are you okay?" Touya felt compelled to ask. Tomoyo nodded.

"Yes, I'm fine. Keep driving, please, Touya-kun."

Touya nodded and turned left, following the signs for the airport. Then, he swore under his breath. Tomoyo immediately saw what was wrong.

"Crap," he muttered, "roadworks."

Tomoyo bit her lip. There was a diversion, but they would never make it to the airport if they had to turn back and take another route now.

"What will we do?" Tomoyo asked, her voice quiet and fearful. Touya, much to her surprise, grinned.

"Well, we're not _that _far from the airport. Seven miles, maybe," he said. Tomoyo immediately looked horrified.

"Oh my God," she said, "you're not _seriously _about to suggest what I think you're about to suggest, are you?"

He simply continued to grin.

"I was thinking," he said, "that we could ditch the car here. I have my bicycle in the trunk - I put it in there a while ago in case the car ever broke down somewhere."

Tomoyo's eyes widened.

"Touya-kun, _no_! You can't be serious!"

"I am one-hundred percent serious," he said, "there's that little platform over the back wheel that I used to strap pizzas to when I worked as a pizza delivery boy. You could sit on that and hold on to me."

Tomoyo had turned steadily more white.

"Absolutely _not_!" she screeched.

…

_'I must be crazy,' _Tomoyo thought as she and Touya set off a few minutes later.

…

It was an absolutely insane, fast-paced race to the airport. The wind whipped Tomoyo's face and made her eyes stream. Her long hair repeatedly smacked her in the face, and she ended up with a mouthful of it - quite unpleasant.

When they finally arrived at the airport, Tomoyo felt that she had never been so glad to see a building in her life. Touya chained his bike to a lamppost, and then the two of them ran faster than they had ever run before through the doors to the airport.

They hurriedly checked the large sign that indicated incoming and departing flights; and they quickly spotted Eriol's flight.

"Gate 23," they muttered in unison, and they dashed towards it, following the signs. When they arrived in the lounge, which opened on to the gate, Eriol and Nakuru were just about to hand over their tickets and go through to their plane.

Tomoyo felt her heart give a big leap in her chest when she saw him.

"Eriol!" she shouted. "Wait!"

…

A.N. Do I never tire of leaving horrid, mean cliffhangers! That is how it would seem… The ending of 'Glass Roses' is really coming much more suddenly than I had thought - I ended up re-writing the ending I had originally planned, because this one was just going to work much better.

Then I realised that if I did it this way, then I really was getting quite close to the ending! Although I'm glad, in a way, that I'm coming to the end of the fic (as it will, after all, be the result of over a year's hard work), I'm very sad, too. I get very attached to the fics I write and I'm always sad to see them end.

I estimate that there are about… Four chapters left to go, I think. Another chapter to help us get to the actual ending, then a two-part epilogue. Then I think I'll give you a chapter detailing the alternate endings that never quite became reality, and ideas that never made it into the final version of the fic. Sort of like the 'Special Features' section on a DVD, I suppose.

Although, it'll be a while before you see the next chapter, as I have exams coming up ((sigh)).

Well, anyway, I hope to see you next chapter!

Shattered Midnight Dreams…zzz…

Because life's like that sometimes…


	15. WHW: There's A Happy Ending

_The insane musings of the authoress: _I finally got around to writing the last chapter of 'Glass Roses'! Well, I actually wrote a version of the final chapter weeks ago, but I was under extreme exam stress at the time, and it sucked.

So, I started again in order that I would be able to give you the final chapter of this as your Christmas present. I hope you like it! Oh, and although this is the last chapter, there **WILL BE AN EPILOGUE**, okay: -)

_Disclaimer: _CCS is not mine. Also, I don't own the poem in this chapter - I'd love to be able to say I wrote it, but I found it in a book by an author called Malorie Blackman, and it struck me just how much it reminded me of Eriol and Tomoyo in 'Glass Roses.'

_Special thanks to: Everyone who reviewed the last chapter and everyone who has supported 'Glass Roses'. Thank you all so, so much._

_For Lily - 'Glass Roses' started out with only a dedication to her, and that's how it will end. Merry Christmas, little sis! Thanks for supporting 'Glass…' all this time._

_Glass Roses_

_Chapter Fifteen_

_What Happens When: There's a Happy Ending_

"Eriol, wait!" Tomoyo shouted desperately as she and Touya ran through the crowds of people, looking startled at the outburst of the dark-haired girl. The man she was shouting to turned and looked at them, surprised, the look in his sapphire eyes uncertain, perhaps even confused.

And pained.

"Daidouji-san…" he said when she and Touya reached them, panting.

Beside him, Nakuru smiled, although he didn't notice.

_'Ah,' _she thought, _'I knew that everything would turn out okay.'_

She smiled and her attention was suddenly focused on the handsome man who had stopped beside Tomoyo.

"Well," she said, looking at the man, "I don't believe we've met before. Perhaps you and I could go introduce ourselves about, oh, several hundred meters away?" Nakuru asked, frantically signalling with her eyebrows.

The tall man looked as though he was desperately fighting against a laugh, but he forced a serious look on his face and said gravely, "of course, Madam. Allow me to steer you away."

Grinning now, he came up to Nakuru and offered her his arm. Laughing, Nakuru took it.

"I'll bet she's more than willing to let him steer her away," Eriol muttered. Tomoyo heard him and giggled, but the other two didn't seem to notice.

"You must teach me how to wiggle my eyebrows like that…" Touya was saying to Nakuru as they walked away.

Eriol returned his attention to Tomoyo. She could see that the look in his eyes was _definitely _pained. Her breath caught in her throat - _I made him that sad, _she thought guiltily.

"Daidouji-san," he repeated. Tomoyo looked at him with timid eyes. "Why - why are you doing this? It hurts… It's unfair, Daidouji-san. I thought that if Nakuru and I left as quietly as possible it would… Be better."

"How is it better!" Tomoyo burst out. "How would it better for me to lose two of my best friends without them even saying goodbye?"

"I don't know! It seemed like the logical idea at the time - goodbyes are hard things, Tomoyo-san. They're made all the more difficult when you're saying goodbye to the _last _person you want to leave behind. Okay, so maybe I was cowardly about it, but you must see how I… Why I…"

His brow was wrinkled as he fought to try to get her to understand.

She continued to look at him. There was something in her gaze that he couldn't define.

He turned away from her.

"Stop looking at me like that! I - I won't be able to leave if you -" he burst, then his voice trailed away into something soft and heartbreakingly sad.

He felt something grab his sleeve.

"Then don't leave! You can't leave, Eriol. You can't - you can't _leave _me!" Tomoyo said desperately, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.

He turned back to her at that.

"And why not? If it's easier to leave, then why shouldn't I?" he asked her. Her eyes were very wide, he noticed. Her grip on his sleeve was as sure as ever.

…

"Okay, so seriously, who are you? Tomoyo-chan's big brother? Oh God, _please _don't tell me that you're her boyfriend/ secret husband. Because that would really screw up this little picture I had in my head of Tomoyo jumping into Eriol's arms and declaring that she loves him…" Nakuru said to Touya once they were out of earshot of the younger couple.

Touya grinned.

"No, I'm not Tomoyo-chan's big brother, or her secret husband, or her boyfriend. In fact, I'm just some creepy stranger who offered her a ride to the airport," he said, sounding perfectly serious.

Nakuru looked shocked.

"Really!" she asked. Touya laughed.

"Of course not! Honestly, I'm Kinomoto Touya, Tomoyo-chan's big cousin who is fed up with seeing her miserable without Hiiragizawa. Nice to meet you," he held his hand out to Nakuru and she shook it.

"Akizuki Nakuru, Hiiragizawa Eriol's big cousin and housemate, friend of Tomoyo-chan and matchmaker," she said with a smile.

…

"_This _is why not," Tomoyo said quietly, and she rose herself on her tiptoes, pressing her lips ever so gently to his. It was over before Eriol could even think about it, and she was a step backwards again, those violet eyes nervous and uncertain.

Eriol touched a finger to his lips, blinking. He couldn't comprehend what had just happened.

_You bring a sweet embrace_

_And with the smile upon your face_

_You bring me grace --_

"I was stupid and afraid. I kept pushing you away because I was scared to let myself feel. I was scared that, if I let myself have a moment of weakness, if I let myself fall in love with you, I'd be hurt again."

She paused to impatiently dash the tears from her eyes.

_--You bring me autumn days_

_Turn my face to golden rays_

_I love you, come what may --_

"But I can't just stand by and let you walk away, not now that I know how I feel! Not now that I finally…" she said, her voice trailing away as Eriol's arms began to encircle her again and he was pulling her closer, closer, and her eyes were falling closed.

"I finally…" the words were a whisper.

"Yes?" Eriol murmured an encouragement.

"I finally understand." Her eyes opened again and she looked at him, allowing herself a small smile.

She'd never been happier than at that moment.

_--And what was life before you?_

_And do you know how I adore you?_

_And it scares me how I feel,_

_You make all my past scars fade and heal --_

"I want to wake up beside you every morning, and be the last person you see at night. I want to take care of you, love you and be loved by you. You're the only person I could ever be happy with, the only person I could ever love… And, now, of course, I feel so stupid for almost letting you slip through my fingers. I want to stay with you…" she said, tears gathering in her eyes again, but this time in happiness.

"Because you are the one I love the most."

The last words were a whisper as her eyes fell closed again and, smiling, Eriol's hands slid up her arms to rest on her face and she dissolved into his kiss.

…

"Oh, isn't that lovely?" Nakuru asked Touya tearfully. Touya nodded.

"Well, it certainly is nice to see her crying _happy _tears, for once," he mused.

Nakuru nodded, her lip quivering.

"Would you like a tissue?" Touya asked her kindly.

"Please!" she sniffed.

Touya handed her a spotless white handkerchief and she dabbed at her face. Then she paused, her mouth forming an 'o' of horror.

"Oh, Isabelle must be going spare! I swore I'd call her to tell her how things went, as she couldn't leave the bakery!" the redheaded woman exclaimed suddenly.

Touya looked confused. Who was Isabelle?

Nakuru proceeded to dig in her pockets for her cellphone, and, when she found the slim, pink object, she flipped it open impatiently and dialled the number of Chase Bakery so hard she nearly dropped the phone.

…

When Isabelle heard the bakery's phone ring, she fell off her chair. Literally. However, she recovered quickly and leapt to her feet, almost tripping in her haste to get to the phone out in the back of the shop.

"I'm here, Nakuru!" she exclaimed breathlessly into the phone as soon as she picked it up. On the other end, Nakuru laughed.

"Everything's fine," Nakuru said vaguely. Isabelle pulled a face.

"Oh, that's descriptive!" Isabelle burst out, her cheeks pink in excitement. Nakuru burst into sudden laughter.

"Sorry, sorry, I couldn't resist! You're so excited, I knew it would annoy you not to have all the details right away," the redhead explained. Isabelle fumed silently.

"Okay, now out with it! Judging by the fact that you're not weeping and wailing over how stupid Hiiragizawa-san and Tomoyo-san are, you're not on your way to Osaka right now, but I need _details_, dammit!" Isabelle exclaimed.

This made Nakuru laugh even more, and it was a few seconds before she got herself sufficiently under control to allow herself to speak.

"Well…" Nakuru began, after Isabelle had stopped yelling at her to stop choking and get on with it. At that very moment, with simply _horrid _timing, the bell rang, announcing the entrance of a customer to the bakery.

Isabelle gave a scream/growl under her breath at the interruption, and said to Nakuru, "hold on a second, there's someone here."

Isabelle lay the receiver down on a table then popped out to the store front to tend to the customer. There wasn't, she discovered when she got out there, one customer, but two. One was the dark-haired Ichiro-san (A.N. You might not remember who Ichiro is - I totally don't blame you if you don't, I actually forgot his name and had to go look it up ((sweatdrops sheepishly)). Anyway, Ichiro is the man who flirted with Nakuru when she was covering for Tomoyo at the bakery in chapter six, I think, when Tomoyo was getting her portrait painted by Eriol. Remember him now?).

But the other… Oh, the _other_… Was a man she had never seen before. Well, she imagined that if she _had _seen this fine specimen before, she'd _remember. _Put it that way.

When she caught sight of him, she froze, and could feel herself blush. Not exactly the most dignified way to greet the most handsome man she'd seen in -oh, she didn't know _how _long.

However, she managed to catch herself after a few seconds, and, shaking her head, smiled at them. (Although she had a horrible feeling she was staring at Ichiro's companion.)

"Hello, gentlemen. I'm sorry I can't serve you right now, I have an extremely important phone call waiting," she said in her most charming voice. "Would you mind terribly if I got back to you in a few minutes?"

Ichiro's companion smiled at her (cue Isabelle's blush worsening) and replied, "oh, yes, I'm sure that would be fine. We're not actually in that much of a hurry - I'm sure he'd be quite happy to wait around all day for her."

For some reason, Ichiro-san blushed as his companion gave him a teasing glance.

_Hmm…_Isabelle mused. _Most interesting…_

"Well, then, I'll be back in a second," she said hurriedly to the two men, before dashing out into the back of the shop.

…

Eriol smiled at Tomoyo.

"Okay, they say it's third time lucky, so I'll ask you this again - Daidouji Tomoyo, will you marry me?" he asked her. Tomoyo's gentle smile became a beam.

"Of course I will!" she said.

"Then," Eriol said, reaching into his pocket, "I believe that this belongs to you."

He slipped the engagement ring onto her ring finger and she looked at it, turning her finger this way and that in the light, looking at it as it sparkled. Then she looked back at him and smiled.

"That's more than an engagement ring, you know," Eriol said. Tomoyo raised an eyebrow at him, smiling.

"Really?" she asked.

He looked very serious.

"Yes - it's a promise, too. I promise I will always love you, and I will never leave you."

Tomoyo grinned slyly.

"So does that mean you won't be attempting to hop on any more planes to Osaka?" she asked in an innocent voice.

"Well," he said, grinning himself, "at least I'll warn you in advance next time."

…

"They just got engaged, by the way," Touya said dryly to Nakuru. "While you were on the phone."

"Really!" Nakuru squealed happily. "Oh, where _is _Isabelle! I want to go congratulate them… Oh, Isabelle, you're back!"

…

As soon as Isabelle turned the corner, she leaned against the wall and sighed.

_Okay, Isabelle, get a grip on yourself… _she thought firmly.

She happened to pass a mirror on her way back to the phone and, when she saw her reflection in it, she groaned. She was wearing a stained apron, there was a huge streak of bread dough over one cheek and the bridge of her nose, and her hair had been thrown haphazardly up into an untidy bun.

She sighed, managed to drag herself away from the mirror and spoke into the phone.

"Hello, Nakuru," she said.

"Oh, Isabelle, you're back!" Nakuru exclaimed on the other end. "Who was it in the shop?"

"Oh, Nakuru, it was Ichiro-san - I'm pretty certain he's looking for you," she began, and she could practically _see _Nakuru's blush. Isabelle grinned wickedly.

"Oh yes, and I heard you two were getting closer - Hiiragizawa-san told me you went to dinner at his house one night…"

She could see Nakuru's blush intensify.

"Isabelle!" she spluttered indignantly, unable to think of anything else to say. Isabelle laughed.

"Of course, I'm enraged at the fact that you didn't tell me, and I _would _bite your head off right now if we didn't have more important matters to discuss," Isabelle said.

"Well, this is what happened - Eriol and I are at the airport, about to board our plane. Eriol looks miserable because he's leaving the woman he loves without even saying goodbye. I look miserable because I thought that we'd failed at the last hurdle - I had all but given up, convinced that Tomoyo-chan wasn't going to stop us.

Then, Tomoyo-chan and a man (who I later learned was her cousin, Kinomoto Touya), come running up to us. So then Tomoyo-chan yells, "Eriol! Wait!""

On the other end, Isabelle gasped.

"Really! Oh, how dramatic!"

"Wait, it gets better! So she and Kinomoto-san reach us, and Kinomoto-san and I excuse ourselves none-too-subtly in order to let them talk. So then, Tomoyo-chan and Eriol have what looked to me like an argument. Then, Tomoyo-chan says some stuff to Eriol, then she kisses him!" Nakuru said, practically squealing in her excitement.

"How romantic!" Isabelle sighed.

"So they say some more stuff - I couldn't hear, because I was so far away, but it must have been something like 'I love you', because then they kiss again!"

"WAI! I wish I could have been there!" Isabelle exclaimed.

"AND NOW THE ENGAGEMENT'S BACK ON!" Nakuru screamed happily.

"YOU'RE KIDDING! I'm so happy! They're getting married! Oh my God!" Isabelle exclaimed happily, only just resisting the urge to dance around the back of the store and sing.

Then, despite, herself, Isabelle felt her eyes mist with tears.

"Y-you guys have to hurry home soon, okay? I want to talk to everyone," Isabelle said. Nakuru narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"Your voice sounds choked up, Isabelle - are you crying?"

Isabelle laughed through her tears.

"Okay, you got me - maybe a little. I know it's silly to cry over something so happy, but I just can't help it! Emotional things like this always get me teary-eyed."

Nakuru laughed.

"Don't worry about it - I was all weepy a second ago. Think of the state we'll be in at their wedding!" she joked.

Isabelle laughed.

Then, Nakuru's voice went quiet, and she said the next thing in a very hush-hush manner, telling Isabelle that this next part was for her ears only.

"Listen, I was thinking - Ichiro-san mentioned that his best friend was going to be in town, and I just -"

"Oh, I think I've already met him," Isabelle said. "He's outside, actually, with Ichiro-san - I forgot to mention it to you."

"Well?" Nakuru asked excitedly. "What do you think?"

Isabelle sank to sit on the floor.

"He's… Ohh, Nakuru…" Isabelle said, exhaling.

Nakuru giggled.

"I thought you'd like him!" she exclaimed.

"He's _gorgeous_! All blond hair and brown eyes… And I look a mess," she said into the phone, sounding dejected. Nakuru made a sympathetic sound.

"Oh, honey, don't worry - I'll have the two of them over for dinner and we can dress you up," the redhead promised.

"Really?" Isabelle asked, sounding hopeful. Nakuru smiled.

"Definitely. Listen, I think Eriol, Tomoyo-chan, Kinomoto-san and I will be heading home soon, so we'll see you at the bakery, okay? Tomoyo-chan and Eriol will be able to give you a much better account than I could," Nakuru finished.

"Okay. See you, Nakuru. Bye," she said, and hung up the phone, feeling much better. Talking to her best friend always made her feel better.

…

"She's pretty, isn't she? Cute with the dough on her face," Ichiro's best friend, Rai, said to Ichiro. Ichiro had to fight to hide a triumphant little grin.

_Just like Akizuki-san and I planned_, he thought.

…

Isabelle pulled the tie from her hair that was holding it up and shook her head, fluffing it out around her face. She also untied the marked apron. (Unfortunately, she forgot about the dough.)

"Sorry I took so long!" she said as she re-emerged from the back of the shop.

"Thanks for waiting so patiently! Now, how may I help you?" she asked cheerfully.

"Well, you look considerably more bouncy now, Miss -"

"Isabelle. Isabelle Chase," Isabelle helped him.

"Miss Chase. Good news? Who's getting married?" Rai asked. Isabelle nodded, a bright smile adorning her face.

"Great news. A couple that Nakuru and I were matchmaking - lovely people - are getting married, and the best part is that they almost didn't make it, and -" Isabelle babbled happily, then she froze.

"Sorry, couldn't help overhearing," Ichiro apologised, reading her expression properly.

_But wait a minute, if they overheard _that, _then what else did they…_

She looked, feeling horrified, at Rai. He gave her a sheepish look.

_Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God…_

Her face caught fire and she wished for nothing more than for the ground to swallow her up.

"Well, it's great news, and we're all very happy," she babbled in her nervousness, suddenly very interested in the ground.

"Anyway, what was it you wanted?" she asked again.

"Well, originally we came to see if Akizuki-san was here," Rai said, "but as she doesn't seem to be here, I wonder if I might request something else."

"Really? What might that be?" Isabelle asked, rather more harshly than she meant to, her gaze still on the floor.

"A date. With the lovely Isabelle Chase."

Isabelle's head snapped up and she looked at him, utterly bewildered. He was smiling at her.

Well, she certainly hadn't expected _that_!

…

"Let's go home," Tomoyo said when she and Eriol, hand-in-hand, had walked back to Nakuru and Touya.

"Best idea I've heard today," Nakuru said happily, proud of herself for resisting the urge to glomp the two of them and start squealing about congratulations and weddings and kids.

Touya noticed the ring sparkling on Tomoyo's left hand. He hugged her, suddenly, and she smiled, letting go of Eriol's hand momentarily to wrap her arms around his. He kissed the top of her head softly and she craned her neck to look up at him.

"Touya-kun?" she asked uncertainly.

"I'm very proud of you, Tomoyo-chan. You came after the person you loved, even though you were scared, even though you might have been too late. And now, might I just say that I'm very happy for the two of you, and may you live a long, love-filled life together," he said.

"Hear hear!" Nakuru said, smiling.

"Thanks, Touya-kun," Tomoyo said quietly, looking up at him. "If it weren't for you, I might never have figured out my feelings. Eriol and I might never have made it. I owe you big time!"

Touya grinned.

"Anytime, sweetheart." Then, with Tomoyo still in his arms, he turned to look at her fiance.

"Now, you - this young woman here really loves you. I know, because I helped -" he shuddered - "prove it, by a method I hope to never have to employ again. Now, Tomoyo-chan doesn't have a scary big brother to say this for her, so I'll do it - hurt her and I will personally tear you apart and feed your bloody remains to starving killer Dobermans, okay?"

Eriol's eyes widened, and he coughed.

"Thank you, Kinomoto-san. That was appropriately… Eloquent. But believe me when I say that -" he reached out and took Tomoyo's hand again, and she came gently out of Touya's embrace - "I think everything will be fine from now on."

Touya allowed himself a smile.

"Somehow, when you say that, I don't doubt that it will."

It was at that moment that Nakuru's will broke, and she rushed forward to glomp all three of them, weeping and babbling incoherently.

…

It was the night before Christmas Eve, and the Daidouji mansion in Tomoeda was decorated beautifully - lights shone, tinsel twinkled, mistletoe… Um… Hung.

There was a massive Christmas dinner party going on to celebrate Tomoyo's return to Tomoeda and her engagement.

"How things change in four months, huh?" Sakura asked Tomoyo. Tomoyo simply smiled.

"I mean, there's your fiancé standing over there, telling a lie with Yamazaki-kun. I'm so happy for you two - I've never seen you so… Alive, I suppose," Sakura said with a warm smile at her best friend.

"Well," Tomoyo said, smiling over at her fiancé, who smiled back, "he's the someone just for me. He's the one I love the most."

"And," Sakura said, "as Onii-chan likes to say, 'everybody will be okay when they're with their special person'."

Daidouji Sonomi came into the room, looking healthier and happier than she had in months.

"Dinner, everyone!" she called, and everyone made their way to the huge dining table in the centre of the room.

Tomoyo sat down in her seat between her mother and Eriol, and looked around the table. There was Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun, Yamazaki-kun with Chiharu-chan, Touya-kun and Yukito-san, Nakuru-chan and Ichiro-san, Ms Chase and INSERT NAME, Rika-chan and Terada-sensei, Kinomoto-sensei, her mother, Naoko-chan and, of course, Eriol.

_To have all these people here, who love me, I really must be the luckiest girl in the world, _she thought blissfully.

"Will you pull a cracker with me, Tomoyo?" Eriol asked her. He already had a paper hat balanced crookedly atop his dark hair from a cracker he had pulled with Yamazaki, who was sitting on his other side.

Tomoyo nodded, smiling, and grasped the other end of the silver-coloured cracker.

"Before we eat," Sonomi said, standing up and tapping her fork against her glass to get everyone's attention. Everyone immediately fell silent - Sonomi had that effect on people.

"I'd just like to say thank you to all of you for coming to this welcome home/engagement/Christmas party. I know I appreciate it, and I'm sure Tomoyo does too."

Tomoyo nodded and Eriol stood up beside her.

"I'd just like to say something, before we begin, if I may. I was going to make a speech at the end, you see, but I feared we might all be a little worse for wear by that point," he joked. Everybody laughed appreciatively and waited for him to continue.

(A.N. I know that, in the U.S., the age for being allowed to legally drink alcohol is 21, but in my country it's 18, and I'm basing it on that.)

"Well, I met Tomoyo four months ago - she had just moved to my little village and was working in the local bakery, Ms Isabelle Chase's bakery, actually - she's here tonight. When I first met her, Tomoyo was actually quite cold -"

There was more laughter at this, and also at the expression on Tomoyo's face.

"Well, I honestly did think you were incredibly handsome," she admitted. "Even at that point."

"Thanks," Eriol said. "I feel better now. Anyway, it was clear that Tomoyo had problems she didn't want anyone to know about. But we got closer, and closer, she told me her problems, and slowly, gradually, I fell in love with her. Of course, she didn't feel the same way."

There was more laughter from the table - practically every male there could sympathise with him.

"Or so she thought. Then, I decided that I was going to leave my village for a while - because I loved her, and it hurt to see her, knowing that I couldn't have her." - cue sympathetic noises from every girl at the table.

"It ended with Tomoyo making a mad dash to the airport to stop me. And I'm so, so happy she caught me. If I'd left her behind, I would have left happiness itself behind," he said, looking with tender eyes at his fiancée.

"So, I guess I just want to say thank you for entrusting me with such a special person. I know it must be hard for you all to let go of her, but I promise I will look after her with the intensity that you have looked after her. I will guard her fiercely like the precious jewel she is, and I will love her with all my heart."

The girls at the table were dabbing at their eyes with their napkins.

At that moment, Tomoyo stood up.

"Yes, dear, would you like to present your rebuttal?" Sonomi joked. Tomoyo smiled.

"There's not much I can say that hasn't already been said, but I'd just like to say thank you for welcoming Eriol in as friendly a manner as you did. As confident as he seems to be, he really was nervous about meeting all of you," Tomoyo said, her smile quirking into something perhaps a little more devious. Eriol blushed.

"And, I'd just like to say that I'm sorry for what I did. It was wrong of me to run away like I did, but I had to… Find myself. And in the process, I found something very special, too," her smile returned to being soft as she spoke.

"And Eriol omitted a few things from his version of our tale - the fact that Touya-kun and I had to ride for seven miles on a _bicycle_ to catch him at the airport being one of them," she said dryly. There was a rumble of appreciative laughter at that. Yukito looked particularly amused.

"So, in closing, I'd just like to wish everyone a merry Christmas!"

And, with that, she sat back down.

"I think," Sakura said quietly, smiling despite the tears clouding her vision, "Tomoyo made the right choice."

"Yes," Naoko said gently, "and although it will hurt for her to move away, we will never truly lose her."

"That's true. A part of me will forever remain here, in Tomoeda, with all of you," Tomoyo said softly, her violet eyes shining.

"And besides," Yamazaki said, in an attempt to lighten the suddenly heavy mood, "it's not about losing or letting go, it's about seeing our Tomoyo-san go on to different things."

"Yes, not better things, just different," Chiharu mused, then smiled. "Wow - you actually said something sensible for once!" she joked to Yamazaki.

"With the person just for her," Rika said, her usual calm, serene smile on her face.

"And what could be better than that?" Fujitaka asked.

"Well," Sonomi said again, rising up off her seat to stand, clutching her wineglass in one hand. Everybody followed her lead and got to their feet as well.

"I think I speak on behalf of everyone here when I say we wish them the best of luck," Sonomi said. Tomoyo looked at her hand, clasped with Eriol's, then smiled up at him. He smiled back.

_-- You bring a quiet time_

_Life has meaning, thoughts have rhyme,_

_You bring down all my fences,_

_You invade my heart and senses --_

_-- Take a look,_

_Stop and stare,_

_Love is shining,_

_Everywhere._

_There is nothing_

_Left to fear_

_I am with you_

_Always near_

_And if this world should make me bleed_

_I'll remember you're all I need --_

_I really, really am the luckiest girl in the world._

_…_

_And this is where we leave our tale of two lonely people who managed, somehow, to find each other. Who would have thought we'd end up here - it all began with a teenage runaway, miserable and frightened, timidly letting a caring young man get close to her._

_Sure, it hasn't been an easy ride - they've had to deal with fears, scars, secrets and painful pasts along the way, and they almost didn't make it._

_But they just couldn't let each other go, and love refused to let them part.__ Well, love and a cast of determined characters!_

_Well, I said that was where we would leave it, but I think we've got time for one last thing…_

_…_

"To Tomoyo and Eriol!" Sonomi cried finally, and everybody raised their wineglasses in a toast, before together repeating what she had said in cheerful, loud voices.

"To Tomoyo and Eriol!"

…

A.N. Oh my God, that was a long chapter. I really didn't know where to end it - unlike 'Butterflies', I really didn't know what the last line of 'Glass Roses' was going to be. Well, I originally did, but then the fic's original ending got scrapped and I had to re-write…

((Shattered has just realised that 'Glass Roses' is now over.))

Hold on a second! That's… I've just written the last line! Oh my God! ((Begins to weep very loudly)) It's OVER! I can't believe it! I'm so miserable!

Well, I'm both miserable and pleased, in a way. 'Glass Roses' has been through a hell of a lot in the year it has taken me to write it. It has survived being ignored for a long time, due to plain laziness (I abandoned it for weeks around the chapter five mark simply because I got stuck and couldn't bring myself to write it) and also the pressures of life (exams and such).

It survived having a crucial chapter deleted just after completion (chapter eight was deleted by my computer right when I had finished it, and the chapter took me weeks to write the first time around!).

And it has survived having a total lunatic as its author.

I'd just like to thank everyone who took the time to read 'Glass Roses', your support had really meant a lot to me, and I think that this fic will forever have a special place in my heart.

And although I'm glad to see all my hard work pay off, I'm so sad to let it go ((sniff)).

Anyway, **DON'T FORGET TO LOOK OUT FOR THE EPILOGUE! **I can't guarantee when it'll be finished, but I hope it won't be too long.

It's been an incredible journey - thank you for sharing it with me. I hope you enjoyed your Christmas present, and I hope you all have a **happy holiday.**

Shattered Midnight Dreams…zzz…

Because life's like that sometimes…


	16. Glass Roses: The Epilogue of Snapshots

__

The insane musings of the authoress: Ah, and now the true ending of 'Glass Roses'. After this epilogue, I will well and truly have said goodbye to this fic. And yes, I am crying already.

'Glass Roses' had its first birthday yesterday (it was published January 1st 2004, and I posted this epilogue on January 2nd 2005). It's hard to believe that it's been a year since I started it. ((Sniffle)) My baby!

I originally planned to have a two or three-part epilogue, but then I didn't : -) And so, this is what you get. I hope you like it.

__

Disclaimer: CCS is not mine.

__

For: Everyone who ever reviewed 'Glass Roses', or put it on their favourites list, or in their C2 archive. For anyone who read silently, without dropping a line. For anyone who passed it time and time again, then finally read it. For anyone who came on this journey with me, no matter how small a part they played.

For anyone who wondered what the title had to do with anything : -)

And, of course, for Lily.

__

Glass Roses

Chapter Sixteen

Glass Roses (The Epilogue of Snapshots)

"Are you still working on that photo album, Tomoyo?" Eriol asked his wife teasingly. She looked up from it and smiled at him.

"I'm afraid so - but I'm enjoying it," she answered.

"I can't believe you brought it along to our picnic, 'kaa-san!" Ten-year-old Hina said, laughing. Tomoyo smiled at her daughter.

The sun shone down on them as they sat on the hilltop that Tomoyo and Eriol had sat on all those years ago to watch the sunset.

"It means a lot to me," she answered. "I've been meaning to organise these photographs for… Forever, it seems."

"Ever since they were taken," her husband suggested.

She nodded, that smile still present on her face. The look in her eyes was soft when she happened upon a photograph she particularly liked.

"Look, Eriol!" she said excitedly, eyes still on the photograph. It was from their wedding eleven years ago, he noticed. They looked so young and happy… In fact, no different from how they looked now. Tomoyo, at least, didn't look a day older.

"Is that from your wedding, 'kaa-san, 'tou-san?" Hina asked excitedly, getting up from her seat at Tomoyo's feet to look at the shot. Tomoyo laughed and ruffled her daughter's hair. Hina promptly scowled and flattened her black hair down again - she hated it when her mother did that!

"It most certainly is," Tomoyo said softly. Hina studied the photo and named the people in it in turn.

"Look, there's Uncle Touya and Uncle Yukito, Aunt Sakura and Uncle Syaoran, Grandmother Sonomi, Grandfather Fujitaka ((1)), Aunt Nakuru and Uncle Ichiro, Aunt Isabelle and Uncle Rai, Yamazaki-san and Chiharu-san, Naoko-san, Terada-sensei and Rika-san… And, of course, the bride and groom."

All of them were standing outside the church, laughing - a gust of wind had just blown up, and the women who were wearing hats had their hands on their heads to keep them there. Tomoyo's veil was streaming out behind her, and her hair was everywhere, a few strands even touching Eriol's face beside her, like long, floating ribbons.

"It's really a great photo," Tomoyo said, smiling. And it was - everyone looked so delighted to be where they were, and the shot looked so informal and natural, as the photographer hadn't warned them that he was going to take it.

"You two look so happy," Hina said, her eyes crinkling in a smile. "But then, I suppose you had a lot to be happy about - you almost didn't make it that far, after all."

She stretched out on the grass at her mother's feet.

"Oh, tell me the story again," she said in a soft, pleading voice as her eyes closed and she laid her head on the grass. "It's so romantic…"

Tomoyo laughed.

"Again? But I'm sure you've heard the story -"

"Ten times," Hina interrupted and she sat back up again to grin at her mother. "But I never tire of it."

Tomoyo heaved a sigh that pretended to be long-suffering.

"Oh, all right. Though it hasn't changed since the last time I told you it, I'm sure," she said.

"Well, you never know," Hina replied, shrugging as she carefully laid herself back down on the grass. "You always add a few things in each time - you tell it slightly differently every time you tell it."

"Do I?" Tomoyo asked, sounding surprised. She turned to her husband, silently asking for confirmation. She received a grin in response. Tomoyo rolled her eyes good-naturedly and began.

"Well, I first met your father when…"

Eriol let his wife's voice fade into pleasant background noise and, unintentionally copying his daughter, lay down on the grass himself. Then he thought of something, and eased himself back up onto his elbows.

"I'll keep going with sticking those photographs in," he offered his wife. "You can take a break and concentrate on telling the story."

Tomoyo smiled, looking relieved.

"_Thank _you. Here," she said, and hefted the album and the many photos on to his lap.

Eriol opened the album as Tomoyo resumed the story. It really was a beautiful thing, given to them by Nakuru and Ichiro for their eleventh wedding anniversary yesterday. That, actually, was the reason that they were having the picnic today - to celebrate their eleven years married.

Tucked inside a flap on the inside of the front cover was a note written in Nakuru's scrawling script - _For all the memories you almost didn't have. Happy Anniversary. Nakuru and Ichiro._

Then he flicked through the pages that his wife had already filled - she seemed to have been putting the shots in chronological order, from least recent to most recent. The first picture was a shot of the four of them (Isabelle, Nakuru, Tomoyo and Eriol) in the bakery.

(A.N. They had been able to have everyone in it as they set the camera up on a tripod then pressed that button that takes the shot after a time delay, so that you can dash into the frame.)

He guessed that it had been taken not that long after he had met Tomoyo. God, they all looked so young! And they had no idea what fate had in store…

The next shot had been taken with Tomoyo's digital camera, as it was a picture of the portrait he had painted of her that day on the hilltop so many years ago. It had been digitally resized so it wasn't even blurred.

The third shot was a stolen one of Isabelle, as she was busy baking at the time. She looked so funny, flushed with the heat of the oven and covered in flour!

Then a picture of Nakuru and Isabelle standing, smiling proudly, and looking down at a cake that Nakuru had helped to bake (and, considering Nakuru's incredible hopelessness with flour, it was quite an achievement.)

Then, another shot like that one, except this one had Tomoyo and Eriol in it as well - they were eating slices of the cake. They were all giggling, as Eriol had made a joke, and Tomoyo had frozen with a forkful of cake half-way to her mouth, her mouth a perfect 'o', and her eyes wide with suppressed laughter.

The next shot was one that Eriol had stolen of Tomoyo when she was sleeping. It was taken at the time they had gone to see the sunset.

There were a few shots that Eriol had taken - Isabelle, Nakuru and Tomoyo together outside Tomoyo's house; a stolen shot of Tomoyo by herself, standing at the counter of the bakery, looking dreamily into nowhere (she hadn't known he was there at all).

Then, a picture of just Tomoyo and Eriol standing on Tomoyo's doorstep, taken, Eriol was fairly certain, by Isabelle. A second shot of Tomoyo and Eriol at the bakery, standing together behind the counter.

Another shot with just Tomoyo and Eriol, a stolen one, probably taken by Nakuru, of the two of them just walking and talking together on a crisp Fall day, piles of golden leaves around them.

Then another shot at the bakery - this time, Touya was there too, as it had been taken when Tomoyo, Eriol, Nakuru and Touya had come back from the airport to tell Isabelle about all that had happened. The five of them were looking into the camera, almost giddy with happiness. The ring on Tomoyo's hand seemed to have caught the light just right, as it was simply a large, flashing sparkle.

Then a couple of shots of Tomoyo and Touya together, taken by Eriol himself that same day. Tomoyo was looking up at Touya in the first shot, and they both looked quite serious, like they were discussing something.

Then, in the second, Tomoyo was in Touya's arms and they were smiling, Touya's chin resting gently on the top of Tomoyo's head.

Then a shot of the happy couple, taken by Nakuru. They were holding hands and blushing - probably at a comment Nakuru had made. Then there was a shot he was certain _neither _he nor Tomoyo had given permission for, as they were kissing in it. Probably Nakuru again.

Then a group shot of everyone at the Daidouji Christmas party - actually, there were two, and they made him laugh at the contrast in them - the first one had obviously been at the start of the party, as everyone was smiling and standing in a very orderly fashion.

In the second, however, everyone was sprawled all over each other and giggling maniacally. They were draped gracelessly over a couch and spilled onto the floor when they ran out of room on the enormous couch.

Obviously, that one had been taken after everyone had truly got into the party spirit.

In between, there were a few shots of different people - Tomoyo and Sakura, laughing and hugging each other (but not drunk at this point), taken by Eriol. Tomoyo and her mother, deep in conversation (they hadn't known that Eriol was taking the photo).

A picture of Eriol telling a lie with Yamazaki while the ever-gullible Sakura looked on. In fact, Eriol was trying not to laugh as Chiharu strangled the other man.

A group shot of all the girls - Tomoyo, Sakura, Nakuru, Isabelle, Naoko, Rika, Chiharu and Sonomi, skilfully snapped by Syaoran. They were pouting for the camera and trying not to dissolve into fits of laughter - they all looked on the wrong side of sober by that point.

Then a shot of all the guys - Eriol, Syaoran, Touya, Yukito, Fujitaka, Terada, Yamazaki, Ichiro and Rai, who were all so drunk they were struggling to keep their eyes open, and most of them were wearing stupidly cheerful, 'I-am-so-hammered' smiles. Tomoyo, who had probably had a hard time not peeing herself with laughter at their expressions, had taken it.

Suddenly, Tomoyo said a sentence that snapped him back to the present.

"And Eriol and I watched the sunset on this very hilltop!" she was saying, eyes sparkling with the memory. Hina looked spellbound, hanging on her mother's every word, even though she knew the story so well she could recite it. Backwards.

"That's so romantic! That's why this is such a special place for you two, right, 'Kaa-san?"

Eriol chuckled softly and looked back at the photos.

Next were a couple of shots of Tomoyo, Eriol, Nakuru, Rai, Ichiro and Isabelle packing up Tomoyo's stuff into boxes so that she could move out of her little house and into the Hiiragizawa mansion.

Then a shot Eriol had sneakily taken of Tomoyo crying as she stood outside her house, looking up at it. She looked broken-hearted to be leaving it. Perhaps he had been wrong to take it, but shouldn't sad times be chronicled, just like the happy?

He remembered handing the camera to Nakuru for a second, and going over to talk to his fiancée. And, sure enough, there was a shot of the two of them talking. And then, a shot of Tomoyo finally smiling, wiping her eyes. Then another shot as Tomoyo threw her arms around him.

He had said that, since the house was paid off and entirely in Tomoyo's name, that they could just keep it. It wasn't costing them or anything, as Tomoyo didn't have to pay monthly, a rent or a mortgage (there was definitely something to be said for being rich.) She had bought it outright when she saw it, having the actual sum wired straight out of her bank account.

So, even though nobody lived in it all year round, the Hiiragizawas sometimes went and stayed in it for the weekend, just for fun. Also, when people from Tomoeda (such as Sakura and Syaoran, and, later, their children too) came to visit, they sometimes stayed in the house. It meant they could visit for days on end, without booking into a hotel or having to drive back and forth.

It also gave them more privacy than they would have if they stayed in the Hiiragizawa mansion.

Another shot, taken by Nakuru, this time of Eriol and Tomoyo standing together outside the Hiiragizawa mansion on the day Tomoyo moved in, arms around each other.

A picture from the next day, as Isabelle, Rai, Nakuru, Tomoyo, Eriol and Ichiro helped Nakuru box up her stuff so she could move in with Ichiro.

A picture from the end of that day, with Nakuru taking the last box away, and everyone else lying, exhausted, on the couch.

A snap of Tomoyo, taken by Eriol without her knowing, of her trying (not very successfully) to hang a pair of white curtains in their bedroom.

Another shot that he had taken, again of Tomoyo, and again without her knowledge. She was talking into the phone, hand bunched up in her hair as she stood. She was dressed in an old blue shirt of Eriol's that fell half-way to her knees. She stood in the hallway of their home, barefooted, cardboard boxes filled with her belongings surrounding her. He _loved_ that shot.

Of course, a few seconds after he had taken it, he had put the camera down and, unable to resist, pounced on her, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her neck. Getting her so distracted that she had finished the call as quickly as possible with a few non-committal expressions such as 'uh-huh', 'yeah', 'whatever you think', and, when he hit the most sensitive point on her neck, '_mmm_, Eriol…'

To which the person on the other end said, "oh, right, this is a bad time. I'll call you back later, Tomoyo-chan."

And hung up.

"I always liked Sakura-san," he growled as he swept Tomoyo off her feet and into his arms. Tomoyo could only giggle as Eriol ascended the stairs.

"This is my favourite part!" Hina was exclaiming as, in the present, Tomoyo began to tell the part about the airport chase. Eriol smiled softly at his daughter.

That was the last shot that his wife had put into the album. The next pictures that had to go in were an absolute _handful _from the wedding. And so he got to work, placing them carefully. They were good shots of various people at various stages of the wedding, taken by various people. Even Tomoyo, tired of being the subject instead of the photographer, had wrestled the camera off her husband and taken a few herself.

There were a few that really stood out for him - one where he and Tomoyo were kissing at the front of the church (evidently the minister had just said 'You may now kiss the bride'), taken by Sonomi, sitting in the congregation.

A number at the reception, and one of he and Tomoyo having their first dance as a married couple. A group shot of the bride and her bridesmaids, then a shot of Tomoyo throwing the bouquet.

The next shot was very funny in Eriol's opinion - he had captured the moment after Sakura had caught the bouquet, and she and Syaoran were looking at each other, nervous but smiling.

(And, of course, as fate would have it, theirs was the next wedding Tomoyo and Eriol would attend.)

Then, of course, there were a lot of shots of the whole wedding party playing around on the lawn in front of the church and on the church's stone steps.

Then, after the fifty or so wedding photos that had to go in, there were a few of Tomoyo and Eriol in their house after the wedding. A photo of Tomoyo lying sprawled on their bed in her beautiful wedding dress, her inky-black hair contrasting sharply with the all white-bedclothes, so exhausted by the day that she was half-asleep.

Then, a photo he had never seen before - it seemed Tomoyo had taken it without his knowledge. He was lying, asleep in their bed, morning sunlight hitting his pale skin.

He assumed that it was the morning after their wedding, as he could just about make out Tomoyo's wedding dress in a heap on the polished, light-coloured wooden floor with his tux. He blushed.

Then another snapshot he had never seen before, this time of the view from the large patio doors that opened out onto a balcony in their room. The curtains had been hung (Eriol had had to do it in the end) and were thrown wide open, and the patio doors were open too. Tomoyo must have taken it that same morning, standing on the balcony.

The town looked truly gorgeous with all that early-morning sunlight. He could almost hear the birds singing, so vivid was the scene.

The next shot was of Tomoyo, Eriol, Nakuru, Isabelle, Rai and Ichiro all dressed up, as they had all gone out to dinner together to celebrate Nakuru and Ichiro's engagement.

Then some shots from Sakura and Syaoran's wedding - Tomoyo had been a bridesmaid, Eriol a groomsman.

Then a shot of Tomoyo holding up her positive pregnancy test and laughing joyously. In the next shot, Eriol had set up the camera appropriately so that he could join her, and they were hugging each other while jumping up and down. The camera had caught them, frozen in mid-air, whooping silently.

Tomoyo had been talking about their wedding when she suddenly remembered their picnic lunch and began handing out sandwiches and filling cups with orange juice for Hina and tea for herself and Eriol.

Eriol took his cup of tea and a salad sandwich, but kept looking at the pile of photos on his lap.

"How's it going, dear?" she asked. "You've seemed really absorbed."

Eriol finally looked up, nodding.

"It's really interesting to see all the things that happened to us."

The next shots were from Nakuru and Ichiro's wedding - Tomoyo had been three months pregnant when she was a bridesmaid for them, but she hadn't begun to show yet, as it was too early. Again, Eriol was a groomsman.

Then a collection of snaps from Rai and Isabelle's engagement party.

Then there was a shot of a heavily-pregnant Tomoyo, dressed again in that blue shirt of Eriol's. She was holding a hand to her stomach and smiling. Then, there was a shot of the two of them, Eriol's hand on her stomach, with the two of them smiling as the baby kicked.

That was followed by shots from Yamazaki and Chiharu's wedding, where Eriol was (again!) a groomsman, and Tomoyo was a simply radiant seven-months-pregnant bridesmaid.

Then there was a shot of Tomoyo standing, still very heavily pregnant, with her mother and Sakura. The three of them had their hands on Tomoyo's stomach, Sakura and Tomoyo wearing identical grins, while Sonomi's eyes looked misty. Actually, Eriol was fairly certain that he had taken that photo only days before Hina was born.

And, sure enough, he found the next shots were in the hospital, of Hina by herself, lying in her cot, Hina being held by her mother, Hina being held (very gingerly and nervously) by her father, with Tomoyo (who was trying not to giggle at Eriol's worried expression) behind the camera.

Then Hina being held by her grandmother Sonomi, and by her numerous 'Aunts' and 'Uncles'; Sakura, Syaoran, Yamazaki, Chiharu, Naoko, Rika, Nakuru, Isabelle etc.

Then, sure enough, shots from Rai and Isabelle's wedding, complete with a two-month-old Hina, dressed in a miniature little wedding outfit of her own. In some of the shots she was being held by her mother, a bridesmaid, but she was mostly being taken care of by Eriol, who had said he would have to decline their offer of being a groomsman so that he could hold Hina during the wedding ceremony.

Then, shots of a pregnant Sakura with Tomoyo.

The next few pages contained myriad shots of Hina as she grew – Hina playing with Sakura and Syaoran's twin girls, Nadeshiko and Sakura (Sakura had insisted on Nadeshiko, and so Syaoran was able to put his foot down and insist upon having a junior Sakura) when they were all quite young – Hina was about three and the twins around two.

Then shots of Hina baking in Chase Bakery with Nakuru and Isabelle, and a million other shots of her doing a million everyday things – like riding her bike, building a snowman with her father, gardening with her mother. These everyday shots were interspersed with shots of her birthdays – right from her first one to her most recent, her tenth.

The last shot in the album was the most recent shot of them – practically everyone they knew had come to the Hiiragizawa Mansion for Hina's tenth birthday party, and the last shot was a huge group picture. In the back row were the adults – Tomoyo and Eriol, obviously, along with Sonomi, Fujitaka, Sakura, Syaoran, Touya, Yukito, Nakuru, Isabelle, Rai, Ichiro, Chiharu, Yamazaki, Naoko, Rika and Terada-sensei.

In the row in front of the adults were the children – the nine-year-old twins, Sakura and Nadeshiko along with their younger brother, four-year-old Rei, Nakuru and Ichiro's daughter, six-year-old Alice and her two-year-old sister Risa. Then came Hina in the centre. On her other side stood Rika and Terada's three children – eight-year-old Kyoko, seven-year-old Miyaka and three-year-old Katsuya. Lastly, Rei and Isabelle's four-year-old daughter, Saki, was at the far end of the line.

Everybody looked happy in the photo – balloons were lying on the floor in the foreground, and the youngest child, Nakuru and Ichiro's two-year-old daughter, Risa, had had a sticky bow stuck to her head by one of the other children.

Hina had sparkly ribbons that had previously been around her presents tied to her waist-length black hair, and the pinks, purples, silvers and golds glittered among the blackness. The ribbon was also wrapped around her neck, where it fell in eye-catching ringlets to her bottom. She was laughing as Sakura jr. leapt on her back, piggy-back style.

Everybody was wearing one of those absurd party hats and smiling – they were all shouting something at the camera – probably 'happy birthday Hina!', echoing the huge banner that was behind their heads in the picture.

Eriol smiled as he remembered that day – it had been truly wonderful to get everyone together, and they had had such a good time. Eriol stuck the picture in its place and closed the album again. As he looked up and smiled at his wife and daughter, Tomoyo was telling the last sentence of the story.

"And that's how we ended up here!" Tomoyo was finishing. Eriol smiled as his wife looked up at him, a question in her violet eyes.

"I'm done," he answered, and the question in her eyes was answered. She smiled.

"Really? Well done! I could see you were working hard," she said. Hina looked excited.

"Does that mean I can look through them now?" Hina asked. Eriol nodded, smiling.

"Come here and sit on my lap – we'll look through them together," he said.

Hina rolled her eyes.

"Um, 'Tou-san, I'm _ten years old. _I am _way _too big to sit on your lap," she said. Tomoyo stifled a giggle. Eriol's expression was immediately mock-stern.

"Excuse me, young lady, but you are _never _too old to sit on your father's lap," he said in a jokingly ordering tone, and gestured for her to come over. Hina smiled immediately and went over to him, actually looking relieved. Tomoyo felt sure that she wanted to sit on Eriol's lap, really, but she wasn't sure if she should now that she was a whole ten years old.

Tomoyo watched, her eyes misting up as her husband chatted to their daughter, filling her in on the details about the parties she hadn't been to, as they were before she was born.

"And there's a picture of your mother when she was pregnant with you," he was saying as he pointed to the shot of a heavily-pregnant Tomoyo with Sakura and Sonomi. Hina's dark violet eyes, a mixture of the vibrant violet of her mother's and the dark sapphire blue of her father's, widened.

"Wow, she was as big as a house!" she exclaimed. Tomoyo giggled, then wiped at her eyes. Immediately Eriol looked up.

"Are you okay, Tomoyo?" he asked. Tomoyo nodded.

"Yes, it's just that… I can't believe I almost didn't have this," she said.

"Silly, huh?" she asked.

Eriol shook his head.

"No, I feel that way at the end of every day with you two. I just lie in bed and think about how _lucky _I am."

He smiled and, when he was convinced that Tomoyo had stopped crying, he went back to talking with Hina about the photos. Tomoyo continued to watch them.

__

When I lived at home in Tomoeda, I had a recurring nightmare. I would always be walking in a park, which was deserted of people. Suddenly, two girls would appear on the abandoned swingset. They would swing for a few seconds, watching me with oddly cold blue eyes, then they would look at each other and dismount together, much more smoothly than I would expect.

They would take each other's hand and walk towards me – they were dressed identically, but they weren't twins – one was blonde, the other had hair of the darkest blue-black. They would walk towards me, smiling, the blue eyes no longer cold, their identical little skirts swirling around their knees as they stepped together in identical little black shoes.

Then they would reach me. They would stop, and the blonde one would smile, her aquamarine blue eyes sparkling up at me. The dark-haired one would stand there, not smiling, her eyes blue like ice. She would watch me while the blonde one held her free hand out. Perhaps the childish beauty of her bewitched me, but I would always, foolishly, reach my hand out to receive the thing that she was holding towards me.

It was a rose made of glass, more beautiful than I had ever seen. I stared at it, not knowing how to say thank you to the blonde child, when she would smirk, her eyes draining of colour until they were the colour of ice, like her dark-haired friend. I would stare, confused, at the change in the blonde girl, when she and the dark-haired one would disappear suddenly.

Then I looked back at the rose in my hand, and it would shatter violently. The pieces cut scarlet gashes into my hands, and I would scream for someone to come to me, help me. Nobody ever came, and I was left to bleed.

When I awoke, I would cry and cry, without really knowing why.

The nightmares stopped when I met him.

"Actually, guys, I brought you out here to tell you some really big news," Tomoyo said nervously. Eriol and Hina looked up together, and the resemblance between them was suddenly striking.

"What is it, 'kaa-san?" Hina asked nervously. They both looked slightly horrified at the idea of important news. No doubt their imaginations were working overtime to produce horrible scenarios.

"Don't look so worried!" Tomoyo exclaimed, and they allowed themselves to relax. A little.

"I'm… I'm… Well, I actually don't know how to say this!" Tomoyo said, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.

"Out with it, Tomoyo!" Eriol barked, looking like he couldn't take any more suspense. Tomoyo had to laugh at his expression.

"Well… How would you feel about a new baby brother?" Tomoyo asked, her smile threatening to split her face in two. Hina let out a strange sort of a yelp as she leapt off her father's lap. Her eyes were two round, shocked saucers.

"_Really, _'kaa-san?!" she exclaimed, hands clapped together. Tomoyo laughed.

"Well, I would hardly tell you if it wasn't true, would I?" she asked teasingly, as she poked a finger in Hina's stomach. Hina giggled.

"A brother… Wow. It'll be so cool to have a sibling to play with when Sakura and Nadeshiko and Rei and everyone else aren't around!" Hina said happily.

Eriol still hadn't said anything. His mouth moved soundlessly, and he kept coughing and fidgeting with his glasses.

"Are you okay over there, Mr Hiiragizawa?" Tomoyo asked him dryly, an eyebrow raised. He looked up at that moment, the sudden smile on his face so brilliant.

"That's… Wonderful. Truly wonderful. I don't know what else to say!" he said happily, getting up to join his wife and daughter.

"I know it'll be a shock having a baby in the house ten years after the last one, but we've got Hina to help us this time," Tomoyo said to him.

"I'm certain that everything will be fine. Fantastic, in fact," he said. "I've always wanted us to have another baby."

Tomoyo smiled.

"I know, me too," she said. Then Hina turned to look at her mother.

"You're sure it's a boy, 'kaa-san?" she asked. Tomoyo nodded.

"That's what the people at the hospital told me, anyway," she said, her tone a little dry.

"Then what should we call it? I've always thought that naming it would be the most fun part of having a baby!" Hina said.

Eriol and Tomoyo laughed, and Eriol ruffled his daughter's hair.

"Well, you got your name because of what it means - 'Hinata' - sunny place," Tomoyo said slowly.

__

When I met him, I found a higher place, a better place, where the roses stayed soft and beautiful and scarlet, instead of turning to glass, shattering and slicing my fingers. All the beauty in this place was soft to the touch and attainable.

So when she was born, I knew, without a doubt, what her name should be. Because, after a long time of searching in the darkness, I have found a place where the sun shines.

"And, since I named you, I suppose it's only fair that your father names this little one," Tomoyo concluded. Hina made a face.

"If you don't mind, 'kaa-san, I have an idea," she said.

"Oh? Well, tell me!" Tomoyo said, smiling.

"Well, you were telling me the story of you and 'tou-san, and I realised that, really, it's all thanks to Uncle Touya that you're here, together, at all. So maybe we could call him 'Touya'," she said softly, as she stroked her mother's tummy, which wasn't even rounded yet.

"Hiiragizawa Touya," Tomoyo said slowly, rolling the words around on her tongue. Then she smiled.

"I like the sound of that," she said to Hina.

"Really?" Hina asked, sounding pleasantly surprised.

"What do you think, Eriol?" she looked up and asked her husband. But he was busy setting up their camera. He dashed over to them and said, "smile!" before the timer ran out and the shot was taken.

…

The most recent shot in the photo album is of absolutely _everyone _standing together in the hospital room and smiling. At the front of the shot is Kinomoto Touya, holding little Hiiragizawa Touya, and looking very proud.

On the back of the photo is scribbled, in a ten-year-old's handwriting, _'everybody we love in the hospital room just after 'kaa-san had Touya-kun. Taken by Hina very quickly because Touya-kun hadn't stopped crying since he was born up until this point, and if I hadn't moved fast, he would have started again, and he wouldn't have looked nearly as sweet as he does!'_

…

A.N. This epilogue took me a _long _time to write. I mean, it took me a lot of hours. I actually began to regret ever saying I'd do an epilogue, as I hadn't realised just how many events I had to cover.

But I'm glad I did, because I really did have fun with it and there were a few loose ends I just had to tie up. The biggest thing I wanted to clear up was where the title tied in. Also, I wanted to include the little thing about how Hina (which is short for 'Hinata') got her name - I just loved the theory about Tomoyo finding her place in the sun after spending a long time searching in the dark.

Plus, I liked the idea of the Hiiragizawas calling their son 'Touya'. : -)

Can you tell that I'm trying to drag this author's note out so that I don't have to properly say goodbye to 'Glass Roses'? : -)

Anyway, in closing, I'd just like to say thank you to anyone who has read this far - I hope you enjoyed reading 'Glass Roses' as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Oh, and have a **happy and peaceful New Year!**

Shattered Midnight Dreams…zzz…

Because mine is a dream that was lost in a breeze…


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